Racing Commission Asked to Ban Essential Quality, the Kentucky Derby Favorite

A horse owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum might not make it out of the gate at this year's Kentucky Derby after renewed allegations that the ruler of Dubai abducted his own daughter, the Associated Press reported.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) received a complaint this week from human rights attorneys and students at the University of Louisville who asked that Essential Quality, Sheikh Mohammed's horse, be banned from the Derby. They also asked that he not be allowed to enter any horses in any races until his daughter, Princess Latifa, is freed or a public hearing is held.

Sheikha Latifa bin Mohammed Al Maktoum said last spring that she is being held against her will and was detained by commandos in 2018 after trying to flee Dubai via yacht. Her 38-year-old sister, Shamsa, was abducted from Cambridge, England, in August of 2000 and has not been seen since.

A judge found last year that Sheikh Mohammed was responsible for both abductions in a case between him and his second official wife, Princess Haya, over their two children. Princess Haya fled Dubai in 2019 with their daughters in fear of her husband, she told the courts.

Essentially Quality, an undefeated grey colt, is favored 2-1 among 20 competitors and the sheikh's strongest chance of winning the Kentucky Derby after 11 tries and millions of dollars spent. The request to remove Essential Quality from the race is not expected to be honored, AP reported.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

Kristin Voskul, spokeswoman for the KHRC, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The sheikh had told the the court he was relieved at having found his "vulnerable" daughter, Shamsa, after she went missing.

Princess Haya is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and married Sheikh Mohammed in 2004.

The cases are particularly sensitive in Britain because of economic and historic links to Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed, who is vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is hugely influential in Britain's racing industry because of the money he spends on breeding and racing. He is friendly with fellow horse enthusiast Queen Elizabeth II.

The sheikh is well-known in Kentucky racing circles, with his Godolphin operations based at Jonabell Farm in Lexington. While the sheikh won't be among the limited fans in attendance Saturday, Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers indicated the protest has little chance of success.

"Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid currently holds a valid racing license in the state of Kentucky. There have been no horse racing violations and nor are we aware of any other U.S. regulatory or governmental investigations," Rogers said.

"We are focused on the 3-year-old thoroughbreds who have earned their way into this year's Kentucky Derby and our responsibility is to the integrity of the race and the safety of those horses."

The United Nations human rights office has raised concerns about Latifa's treatment by the UAE and sought evidence that the princess was still alive. The UAE's embassy in London has said the princess was being cared for by her family and medical professionals.

Sheikha Latifa's supporters have urged President Joe Biden to pressure Sheikh Mohammed to release her, saying Biden is one of the few world leaders with the stature to win her freedom.

Sheikh Mohammad has been involved in other controversies, including being accused in 2006 of encouraging the abduction and enslavement of boys for use as jockeys in camel races. A class-action lawsuit filed in Florida was dismissed.

In 2013, a trainer for the al Maktoum family's Godolphin stable was banned for eight years by British racing authorities for administering steroids to horses. The sheikh responded by outlawing the use of anabolic steroids on horses in the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammad founded Godolphin in 1994 and is owner of Darley, one of the industry's major breeding operations, with farms in Kentucky, England, Ireland and Australia.

Godolphin has won many of the world's most prestigious horse races, but not the Kentucky Derby. The sheikh created the lucrative Dubai World Cup race that attracts the top horses to compete in the desert.