NEWS
Premium Tap headed to Saudi Arabia, then Dubai
Posted: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 4:28 PM
PREMIUM TAP
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Jeff Lowe
Multiple Grade 1 winner Premium Tap will travel to Saudi Arabia in February to participate in the country’s most prestigious race, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, before targeting the $6-million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 31 at Nad al Sheba racecourse.
Members of the Saudi Arabian royal family purchased Premium Tap in December from George Kline, Peter Alevizos, and David Whelihan. The new owners retained John Kimmel as Premium Tap’s trainer.
Kimmel said Premium Tap would depart South Florida on February 10 for the race at King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh on February 16.
The distance of last year’s Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup was 3,400 meters or approximately 2 1/8 miles, but the race has been reduced to 1 1/2 miles, Kimmel said.
“I tried to get them to make it a mile-and-an-eighth,” Kimmel said with a laugh.
Kimmel said Kent Desormeaux would have the mount in both overseas races.
Desormeaux rode Premium Tap to victories in the 2006 Woodward Stakes (G1) and Clark Handicap (G1). Premium Tap also finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Powered by Dodge (G1) under Edgar Prado. He is scheduled to return to Kimmel’s care in the United States following the World Cup.
Grundlefoot, Dynever, Zakocity, and Navesink River are among the recent American graded stakes winners who raced in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup after being exported to Saudi Arabia.
Grundlefoot won the race in 2003. Dynever finished second in 2005 before finishing second to Roses in May in the World Cup.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
