The Dubai World Cup meeting celebrates its historic 25th anniversary on March 27, with six Group 1 races and three Group 2s, including one of the world's premier races, the $12 million Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline.
Over the next three weeks, the Dubai Racing Club will pay tribute to each of the previous Dubai World Cup winners. Today, we rewind to 1998, when Silver Charm won the Dubai World Cup title for Bob Baffert. It was the first of many successful outings in the UAE for the American trainer.
For those outside of the USA any chance of seeing a winner of any of America's Triple Crown races used to be limited to the television screen. However, all of that changed in 1996 when the Dubai World Cup created a truly viable option for owners and trainers of America's best to consider international raids.
Cigar was the leader and he paved the way for another history making event in 1998 when Silver Charm, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, made his way to Dubai.
Silver Charm's trainer Bob Baffert, who had never left the USA, was able to make the trip to the United Arab Emirates through a hastily arranged passport, to prepare his grey champion for the event.
Just when it was thought that nothing could better the inaugural victory of Cigar and then Singspiel came the epic battle of Silver Charm and Swain, and their jockeys Gary Stevens and Mick Kinane, where it appeared that honor was more valuable than the world's richest prize.
Such was the excitement of that contest that few remember who finished third. For the record books it was the French raider Loup Sauvage, who turned in a personal best.
Silver Charm returned to America with his best performances being a narrow second to Awesome Again (with Swain just behind him in third) in the Breeders' Cup Classic before a win in the Grade 2 Clark Handicap. He returned the following year to win the Grade 2 San Pasqual Handicap, was third in the Donn and Santa Anita Handicaps before returning to defend his Dubai World Cup crown.
He couldn't repeat his heroics of 12 months previously and was beaten a long way from home when only sixth behind Almutawakel. He was retired after his next start when unplaced in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Silver Charm was one of the narrowest winners of the Dubai World Cup, however that was his usual method of success, never actually winning his races by big margins, but in winning the Dubai World Cup he defeated a champion in Swain and must be rated as one of the race's very best winners.
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