Meydan Racecourse

A record crowd of more than 65,000 attended Saturday's Dubai World Cup night card at Meydan in Dubai. It was the 29th edition of the nine-race spectacle, which featured $30.5 million in purses. The evening's crown jewel, the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, was captured by Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) for trainer Brad Cox and owner Wathnan Racing. Next year's edition will mark the 30th edition of the Dubai World Cup and it will be held on Saturday, March 28. "This year's Dubai World Cup meeting was nothing short...

Japan earned their fourth consecutive $1-million G2 UAE Derby and fifth overall with the narrow victory of Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) over the ultra game Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.) at Meydan on Saturday. The latter's jockey Saffie Osborne was attempting to become the first female rider to win a race on Dubai World Cup night. It was jockey Christophe Lemaire's second UAE Derby win after he was aboard Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in 2023. One of the fastest from the bell, he immediately glued himself...

The $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup will be run an hour later than originally planned at Meydan on Saturday, after the Dubai Racing Club took the decision on Tuesday to delay the start time for all nine races on the glittering card due to an unforeseen weather forecast. The gates at Meydan will now open at 2.30pm (local time), with the first race--the G1 Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians--set for 4.35pm (local time). The main event, the Dubai World Cup, will conclude the card at 9.30pm (local time). Sheikh...

Multiple group winner Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) pleased his connections with a strong gallop at Saint-Cloud on Thursday, according to trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. The Aga Khan runner is pointing toward the $6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Apr. 5. "All winter we decided he was a horse for the Sheema Classic," the trainer told Dubai Racing Club. "Unfortunately we have trial races at Chantilly on the polytrack and the difference between the two races was too big and I would have had to rush him coming out of...

With a combined 273 workouts on the main and training track Sunday morning at Santa Anita, the noteworthy moves came from some of the biggest runners, namely 'TDN Rising Star' GSW & GISP Getaway Car (Curlin), GISW Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), and 'TDN Rising Star' MGSW Nysos (Nyquist). Entered in Saturday's Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, Getaway Car worked three furlongs in :36.60 for Bob Baffert, and was the 13th fastest of 17 at the distance. His stablemates Nysos and GSW Fort Bragg (Tapit) also took to the main track,...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- When the late Arrogate overcame a world of trouble to win the 2017 G1 Dubai World Cup, many racing fans said it was the best performance in the history of the race. To some, it rates right up there with some of the best performances ever seen. It's entirely possible that Juddmonte's Laurel River (Into Mischief) managed to upstage him Saturday with an absolutely stunning, front-running tour-de-force in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan, a result that even those closest to him may...

After knocking on the door so many times--finishing second or third in four Group 1 events in his four most recent starts--Team Valor and Gary Barber's Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}--Jawlaat {Ire}, by Shamardal) got one of his own in an ultra-competitive renewal of the $5-million G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday. Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the Dubai Turf the last three years and seeking an historic four-peat, broke a bit awkwardly, but despite recovering quickly, finished off the board. The U.S. hope Catnip (Kitten's...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Tuz (Oxbow), who like Kabirkhan (California Chrome) was purchased on the final day of the Keeneland September sale and overwhelmed his competition in Russia to earn a call up to Dubai, took a gap at the fence with 200 metres to run and bolted clear to take Saturday's G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Nakheel by a record-setting 6 1/2 -length margin. Tuz won three starts at Pyatigorsk Hippodrome by the better part of 50 lengths was making his fourth straight appearance on World Cup...

Veni, vidi, vici. He came, he saw, he conquered. Like Julius Caesar, Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}--Forever Darling, by Congrats) came prepared for battle and lived up to the hype, stamping himself as a potential superstar and giving Japan a third consecutive victory--and fourth since 2016--in the $1-million G2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse on Dubai World Cup Day. The pacesetter Auto Bahn (Arg) (Asiatic Boy {Arg}) held second, while the sole U.S. representative, Pandagate (Arrogate), was third. The UAE Derby offers GI Kentucky Derby points on...

Saturday's G1 Al Quoz Sprint resulted in a track record-setting victory for Hong Kong, with one of their star gallopers--CALIFORNIA SPANGLE (IRE) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}--Pearlitas Passion {Ire}, by High Chaparral {Ire})--running out an emotional winner in more ways than one. Originally racing for Howard Liang, the Michael Enright-bred 6-year-old gelding now races for Liang's estate, as he died several months ago. It was also the first victory for Hong Kong in the race since Amber Sky (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) captured a 1000-metre version 10 years previously. The winner cruised...

Todd Cady and Ty Leatherman's TWO RIVERS OVER (g, 4, Tamarkuz--American Cowgirl, by Cowboy Cal) closed resolutely to pip dueling leaders Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Isolate (Mark Valeski) and win the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile. Walk Of Stars was 3/4 of a length back in second, only a nostril in front of a very game Isolate. It was the first group win for the 2023 Listed Zia Park Derby winner. Both defending Godolphin Mile winner Isolate and G2 Al Maktoum Classic second Walk of Stars flashed good...

by Alan Carasso, Heather Anderson, Jill Williams & Adam Houghton DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Meydan Racecourse is the centre of the racing universe Saturday, as it stages the 28th renewal of the G1 Dubai World Cup. The dozen horses that have been entered represent ownership interests from Japan, America, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and even Libya, putting the 'World' in World Cup. Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) is back to defend the title he grabbed in 2023 and will attempt to join Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet...