No American knows more about the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) from personal experience than Jim Cornes. The Dubai Racing Club official and former assistant to four-time Dubai champion trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has witnessed all but one of the previous 12 runnings of the world's richest race and will be there Saturday to see if Curlin can join the elite group of winners.

As racing fans and participants from around the world gathered at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on Thursday for "Breakfast with the Stars," there was one name that seemed to be on everyone's lips: Curlin. People from Australia to Europe to South America to Asia all wanted to see the American Horse of the Year with their own eyes, to gauge how good he might really be before he races for the $6 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) on Saturday.

Nothing like the pressure of the last workout before racing for $6 million. But for Horse of the Year Curlin, Monday's half-mile breeze for the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) was just another day that he had to abide by rider Carlos Rosas's polite but persistent request for patience. "Wait. Wait. Not yet," Rosas said through his motionless body language.