Joshua Tree

Marco Botti lost his Dubai World Cup horse from the past 2 seasons when Gitano Hernando was transferred out of his barn after the 2011 Dubai World Cup to new owners. But he's got a one to replace the loss of GH that just recently transferred to his barn in Planteur, and Botti has already said he intends to make Planteur his 2012 Dubai World Cup horse. I don't think it will happen, but I wouldn't mind seeing him bring Excelebration over in March and let him stretch out from a mile to 9f for a crack at the Duty Free. I think another furlong would suite Excelebration real well, and I think he'd be a beast in the Duty Free. It's been having a good 12f turf horse for the Sheema Classic in the past 2 years that Botti's been lacking for, and IMO, he certainly has one in his barn since Joshua Tree left Qatar and returned to racing in Europe this season. Joshua Tree ran a strong race for 2nd behind Sara Lynx in the G1 Canadian International this year, and also had a respectable 3rd place finish in the G1 Preis Von Baden in a race that Danedream was just much the best. Which we now understand how she was after seeing her blitz this year's Arc field. After he won the 2010 Canadian International, I thought Joshua Tree should've gotten to race in last year's Sheema Classic, and I still believe he'd be a very viable contender if Marco Botti would let him run in this year's renewal.

Talk about a horse that going to be hitting to Dubai with a head of steam!! Joshua Tree is certainly that horse. I still can't believe that Ballydoyle let this colt go? Given how lightly raced he was, and how he kept improving with every race, and still has a huge potential for even more improvement. Joshua Tree ran outstanding races in the UK in both the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, and the G1 St. Leger at Doncaster. Then he went to Woodbine and beat another colt that's really running well in Redwood in the G1 Canadian International Stakes. Next was the Japan Cup, where Joshua Tree didn't really run that well. But it was a big field with a lot of traffic issues to overcome. What I would consider a throughout race. After the Japan Cup, Joshua Tree was sold from Ballydoyle where he shipped to Qatar. He ran 4th in the G1 Heir Apparent Trophy. Then in his second Qatar start yesterday, he won the biggest race in the country. The G1 Qatar International Invitational Cup under an impressive run. Joshua Tree took the field the 1-1/2 from pillar to post. If Snow Fairy and Buena Vista were going to be entered in this year's Sheema Classic, it would be hard for me to split the two, and I'd likely have them as co-favorites in the race. But given that both are likely to go to the Dubai World Cup instead of the Sheema Classic this year, I think that certainly makes Joshua Tree one of the betting favorites for the race. IMO, rivaled only by Godolphin's Mastery. Off of the back of his extremely impressive win in the G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin back in December. JMO.