His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, by Marion Altieri
June 3 , 2007
Just hearing his name makes me giggle. Yes, I'm an unabashed fan of His Highness—"Sheikh Mo" to his friends, and those like me who feel affectionately toward the man. I'm reduced to a puddle of schoolgirl giddiness when I even think about meeting him someday—not because he's "cute," or any such hormonally-charged evaluation, but because the man's a genius.
And genius is very, very sexy, to use that word in the contemporary vernacular.
Don't tell me you haven't heard of Sheikh Mo. You haven't? You might have, but aren't certain? You're suspicious, because…he's…MMMMMMM…Middle Eastern?
Please discard any biases against the man because of his origin or mode of dress. Make your decisions based on the truth, and the facts that he has more Great Ideas about Thoroughbreds and the Sport of racing, breeding and caring for them than any human alive today.
That's not an exaggeration: I would love to write the book about Sheikh Mo, about his ideas about racing and breeding; his heart-on-his-sleeve passion for his horses and his plans for the future. (If you're reading this, Your Highness—call me!)
He goes by many titles, and has many hobbies and interests. "Crown Prince of Dubai," "Defense Minister of the United Arab Emirates" and "Chairman of The Dubai Ports and Customs" are just a few of his titles and jobs. It's a wonder he has time to read The Daily Racing Form. But he does, because Thoroughbreds are his passion, the thing that gets him up in the morning.
And that's why I love him.
First, let's get The Obvious Question out of the way, and dispel the rumor with the light of Truth. Revenues from oil and natural gas account for less than 3% of Dubai's revenues If you doubt this statistic, here are two reliable references:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Dubai
Statistics Center of Dubai: http://vgn.dm.gov.ae/DMEGOV/OSI/webreports/Gross.pdf
Faced with this situation, Sheikh Mo looked around and decided to transform Dubai into a destination location for two major industries: business and tourism. He aimed to turn Dubai into an international center for business (a'la Hong Kong), and a world-renowned tourism center. He's achieved both those goals, in spades. Many Americans live, work and thrive in Dubai because His Highness makes it just so-darned-easy—and appealing.
So we know that he's not a crazed oil baron, he's a business and financial wizard. His family has long been in the Thoroughbred business—going back, oh, thousands of years. (Remember, all Thoroughbreds on the Earth must descend on both sides from at least one of the three foundation stallions—the Godolphin Arabian, the Darley Arabian or the Byerly Turk. The origins of the Byerly Turk are debated. It's generally thought that he was an Arabian, but many argue that he was a Turkoman horse or an Akhal-Teke. Either way—he wasn't consigned at Ocala or Keeneland.)
Back to the Sheikh. His family history, his spiritual inheritence, is completely enmeshed with that of the horse we know as the Thoroughbred. For him, it's not just a matter of acquiring "more," but rather of falling in love and seizing an opportunity. It was reported in www.bloodhorse.com today that his Darley Stud operation just bought the breeding rights to Street Sense. Street Sense will continue to race for his current connections, but when he's ready for the breeding shed—Sheikh Mo will be ready for him.
This news, of course, makes me rethink Street Sense. You probably know by now that I'm a Curlin fan. Street Sense is surely a terrific horse, but perhaps he's actually a great horse. Sheikh Mo would know. He has an intuitive connection to Thoroughbreds: if he felt compelled to buy the breeding rights to the horse, there must be even more to him than most fans and bettors can see.
Watching His Highness Shiekh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is a good way to learn how to bet. If the Sheikh owns a horse, or shows interest in it—you should, too. If he buys a horse—follow that horse's career.
And if he keeps breeding horses in America—he will win the Kentucky Derby one of these years. He knows that American horses are built differently than European horses, and that, in order to win the Kentucky Derby, you must have an American horse. Follow his breeding, training and racing operations, and learn from the best.
Toss away any preconceptions, and accept the man for who he is: a brilliant, loving, caring horseman who knows the workings of a Thoroughbred better than anyone else on this planet. Instead of turning our backs on him, or childishly resenting him because he's "so rich"—we should be taking notes. The way to beat him in a race is to be better than he is. And the only way to get better is to study him as your friendly opponent, not an enemy. Remember, this is a game, and the game ain't Battleship or Risk.
To His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum! I'll raise my glass to him next March as I wing my way on Emirates Air to Dubai for the World Cup. I hope you join me—and I really hope that I bump into Sheikh Mo in the shedrow while I'm there. I just want to shake his hand, thank him for all he's doing for the Sport and wish him, "Salaam." |
