While the war raging in the Middle East has caused uncertainty and danger throughout the region, it appears that most among the group of U.S.-based horses that had been planning on running on the Mar. 28 GI Dubai World Cup card will make the trip to the United Arab Emirates and continue to prepare for one of the world's richest days of racing.“We're making plans and arrangements as if the world were normal,” said David Fiske, the racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, which owns Dubai World Cup hopeful Magnitude (Not This Time).The connections that have given the green light to the Dubai trip are doing so even though the State Department on Tuesday ordered the mandatory departure of non-emergency personnel and family members in six countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, over growing security concerns. In retaliation to the attacks on its country by the U.S. and Israel, Iran, on Saturday, fired missiles and drones at countries in the Persian Gulf. Included in the damage inflicted on Dubai, a drone strike ignited a fire at Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. And four people were injured the same day after an incident at the Dubai International Airport.As of Tuesday, the Dubai International Airport was operating on a limited basis. The airport was temporarily shut down on Feb. 28 due to regional security tensions. According to trainer Jose D'Angelo, who is pointing Bentornato (Valiant Minister) to the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen, the plane that will take U.S. horses to Dubai is scheduled to leave Mar. 14.“We are still planning to go,” D'Angelo said. “Everything is set up to go. We have talked to the people in Dubai there and they say that everything is good to go. They say that at the moment everything is good there. Of course, I am worried about it. This is not normal. We see from here on television everything that is going on. But, hopefully, in two weeks the situation will be better.”Fiske acknowledged that the situation is precarious.“That the State Department said 'Everybody get out of the Middle East' means it doesn't seem like three days from now they are going to say 'Everything is ok, go back to the embassy, go back to the racetrack,” he said. “I think everybody probably has the same attitude and the same plans that we do–plan on going and then if things aren't right, pull the plug and find somewhere else to run.“We'd rather be ready to go than pull the plug now and then three weeks later be left thinking, 'Well, that was stupid.' We are expecting the worst and hoping for the best. The people in Dubai may be thinking the same way we are, that they're hoping to run the race and that everything pans out by then.”It's expected that Magnitude will be joined in the Dubai World Cup field by last year's winner, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}). His trainer, Brad Cox, also said that the plans have not changed and that the recent winner of the GIII Mineshaft Stakes will be back to defend his title.“We're planning on going as of right now,” Cox said. “I don't know much about what is going on. It's an unknown. We're trying to prepare a horse for a race and it's obviously a prestigious, valuable race with a big purse. We'll just have to see what happens. If it doesn't happen and they can't pull it off, we have other options.”Burj al-Arab Hotel in Dubai | Getty ImagesOne horse who will not be making the trip is the New Jersey-bred star Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who was being pointed to the Dubai Golden Shaheen.“We're not going basically because of the war, the political issues over there and the safety factor,” said Jay Briscione, who heads the partnership that owns last year's Eclipse Award winning sprinter. “I think that any time the State Department tells you not to travel, it's probably good to heed their advice. Something like this doesn't seem like it's going to end quickly. People have always been saying Dubai is the safest city in the world, and I bet that is right. But it's never had a war going on around it like this.”Briscione said it was his wife that demanded he stay put.“I kept saying to her, 'Well, it looks like this is going to happen, that we're going.' And she said, 'You're not going anywhere near the Middle East.' You know what? I can't blame her,” Briscione said. “It's hard enough in this business. It's hard enough to plan on any race under normal circumstances and then they throw all this at you.”Doug O'Neill was not planning on running any horses on this year's World Cup card, but he has traveled to Dubai numerous times and has stabled there in past years. He said that Americans going to the Dubai World Cup should not be worried.“Dubai is one of the safest places on the face of the earth,” he said. “I certainly wouldn't be hesitant to go to Dubai. You can leave your wallet on a park bench and come back a week later and it will be there. It's just a very safe place. The people are kind and they love their horse racing. I think the racing will continue on and everything will be okay. They are a very successful, wealthy country and they have put a lot of money into defending their country. So, I don't think there will be a problem.”The post Despite War In Middle East, Most U.S. Connections Still Planning To Head To Dubai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.