Mike Stidham Excited To 'Take A Shot' In Dubai Turf With Improving Catnip

With over 100 of the world's most talented gallopers on hand, it isn't easy to stand out, but American-trained Dubai Turf hopeful Catnip has just done that at Meydan this week.

Connections had the option of remaining at trainer Mike Stidham's base at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans to walk the strapping, nearly-black gelding out of his stall and over to the track for a Group 2 contest last weekend. They have instead opted to swing for the fences against the likes of Do Deuce, Lord North and Measured Time at Meydan.

“It's a very contentious race, and we knew that coming over,” Stidham commented. “When he stepped up his game at Gulfstream (third to Warm Heart in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf January 27), he ran a huge new top (speed figure) in that race. We had a choice of running him for $300,000 or $5 million and we decided to take a shot at the $5 million and brought him over. So far, so good.”

Stidham is no stranger to the Meydan winner's enclosure, having saddled Godolphin's Mystic Guide to victory in the 2021 Dubai World Cup.

“The memory of a lifetime,” Stidham recollected. “Just one of those surreal moments that you come all that way and you hope that everything goes right. The gate opened and he just put himself in the right spot and it was history from there. It was an amazing night and I'll never forget it. To do it in front of the boss was really special.”

Christophe Lemaire takes the ride on the homebred half-brother to the talented turf mare Princess Grace.