After witnessing the impressive duo of Curlin and A. P. Arrow parade around Nad al Sheba, soaking up the adoration of the crowd, one could almost hear the theme music abruptly shift as a black intruder on American fantasies galloped into view.

Vermilion enters the world's richest day of Thoroughbred racing with a formidable enough record to stand up against Curlin. The El Condor Pasa horse's past performances reveal four consecutive stakes victories since his fourth-place finish behind Invasor (Arg) in last year's $6-million Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1).

“He is getting better,” trainer Sei Ishizaka said. “His improvement is both mental and physical, otherwise he would not have had such a good result.”

In Dubai, Vermilion walks an hour under tack before coming out to work, gallops every day, then walks under tack for another hour. This regimen appears to suit the six-year-old El Condor Pasa horse just fine.

“Japanese dirt is deeper, so he needed more power,” said his exercise rider, Shinji Furukawa. “Now on this dirt, he is lighter, so he will have more speed.”

Vermilion won the 2,100-meter (10.43-furlong) Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1) in November, and enters off a victory in the 1,600-meter (7.95-furlong) February Stakes (Jpn-G1).

Japan-based horses have enjoyed success during the previous two Dubai World Cup cards. Admire Moon won the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) last year and Heart’s Cry annexed the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) in 2006.

Vermilion’s connections believe he could be next in line.

"I think he is an almighty horse,” Ishizaka said with a grin.