The Lead:
One of the world's most important races on dirt, the Dubai World Cup anchors a 9-race program from Meydan Racecourse on Saturday. Post time for the first race will be 7:30 am ET with the main event slated to break at 12:35 pm ET. 1/ST BET and Xpressbet will offer full-card wagering on all the festivities, beginning with early bird wagering on Friday for Saturday.
Field Depth:
Defending champion COUNTRY GRAMMER returns to the scene of his greatest victory and represents the American interests. He re-matches with his recent Group 1 Saudi Cup conqueror PANTHALASSA from Japan as well as last year's Group 1 Saudi Cup winner EMBLEM ROAD from Saudi Arabia. Group 1 Japan Cup winner VELA AZUL is new to this cast. Group 1 and Group 2 Maktoum Challenge winners SALUTE THE SOLDIER and ALIGIERS lead the local UAE contingent.
Pace:
PANTHALASSA led wire-to-wire in the Saudi Cup and typically has intent on the front. BENDOOG was able to hit the front early in the Maktoum Challenge preps.
Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.
1-ALGIERS: Leveled off smartly in winning the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 and looked fantastic coming home. The 6-year-old has never been in better form. He's proven over the distance and track, and his skipping the Maktoum Challenge Round 3 was noticeable as that race looked far more pedestrian. Note his pursuer BENDOOG since has come back to validate the form.
2-BENDOOG: Game in a pair of Maktoum Challenge Rounds when second-best each time. Has some pace presence about him and notably doesn't buckle when headed. Son of Gun Runner is reliable and will have his name called a long way. Jockey Christophe Soumillon won this race back-to-back with Thunder Snow in 2018-'19.
3-CAFE PHAROAH: Japan's only success in this race came with Victoire Pisa in 2011, but that nation makes up 7 of the 15 entrants this year. All-or-nothing sort has won 7 of 14, but has been out of the money 6 times. Narrow third in the Saudi Cup behind a pair of these was promising, but his best efforts have been shorter than this. Sire American Pharoah won the US Triple Crown, of course, but damsire More Than Ready tends to get more miler types, such has this.
4-COUNTRY GRAMMER: Seeks to join 2018-'19 winner Thunder Snow as the only 2-time Dubai World Cup winners. A top-2 finish would jump him over Arrogate as the highest-earning North American Thoroughbred of all-time. Returns to this race on the same form line as last year, exiting a second-place finish in the Saudi Cup; but notably has more foundation in his current for this year than last. Jockey Frankie Dettori has 4 DWC wins and can secure that title for himself with a fifth, surpassing Jerry Bailey. Bob Baffert has won this race 4 times, second only to the 9 by Saeed bin Suroor. He'll leave from a very tough post-14 draw, however.
5-CROWN PRIDE: 4-year-old Japanese charge hasn't lacked big-stage appearances, finishing 13th in last year's Kentucky Derby and fifth most recently in the Saudi Cup. But he's lost 5 straight since starting his career 3-for-4, culminating with a victory at Meydan in the 2023 UAE Derby. He's proven over the track and environment, perhaps capable of a wake-up.
6-EMBLEM ROAD: The glass slipper didn't fit Cinderella a second time in last month's Saudi Cup, finishing sixth in his title defense after a 99-1 parimutuel stunner in that race in 2022. This will be only his second trip outside of Saudi Arabia, and the previous netted only a fifth-place finish in a French Group 3 (albeit on turf).
7-GEOGLYPH: Fourth (beaten only 1-1/4 lengths) in the Saudi Cup, this Japanese turf runner showed out well against several of these last time while transitioning to dirt. Son of top American sprinter Drefong has proven himself over this 10F distance. Expect an overlay price.
8-JUN LIGHT BOLT: Disappointing seventh in the Saudi Cup when he snapped a 3-race winning streak from Japan. Beaten 5 lengths that day by countrymate and DWC re-matcher Crown Pride, a horse he had beaten at home previously. Jockey Ryan Moore seeks one of the few worldwide trophies to escape him.
9-PANTHALASSA: Japan's front-running winner of the Saudi Cup for Yoshito Yahagi, a trainer that must be respected on the international stage. This 6-year-old won the Group 1 Dubai Turf on this same card a season ago, so the pomp and circumstance likely won't be of consequence. Much depends on how hard the other pace players come after him this time after witnessing the theft over 9F last out.
10-REMORSE: Sixth a year ago in the Dubai World Cup behind COUNTRY GRAMMER et al, he did not factor in either of the Maktoum Challenge Rounds this winter -- beaten 8-1/2 and 7-3/4 lengths. He's out of the Wesley Ward-trained dasher Jealous Again and bred to be far more effective at trips shorter than this.
11-SALUTE THE SOLDIER: Won the Group 1 Maktoum Challenge Round 3 in grinding fashion over this distance, but was a surprise winner who benefitted greatly from the absence of ALGIERS, who sat that race out. ALGIERS flicked him away by more than 11 lengths in their prior matchup. Now age 8, he was fifth in the 2021 Dubai World Cup when in better career form.
12-SUPER CORINTO: Most lightly raced member of the field with 8 starts, he's made a home at Gulfstream Park this winter after competing in South America the bulk of his career. Son of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver appears fast enough to contest early lead if asked to by jockey Hector Berrios. Has trained fast for this in recent weeks since last racing December 8. Big task to go 1-1/4 miles off works alone.
13-TO KEYNES: Second start outside Japan for this son of Keeneland's Blue Grass winner Sinister Minister. The first bid didn't go well with an eighth-place finish in the 2022 Saudi Cup. Exits a hard-fought prep second at home vs. DWC rival USHBA TESORO. Matches up evenly with countrymates JUN LIGHT BOLT and CROWN PRIDE. Like the move to renowned international jockey Oisin Murphy.
14-USHBA TESORO: Hottest horse in the field brings a 4-race winning streak from Japan. For a colt who took 7 tries to break his maiden, he has blossomed later in life and now gets his biggest stage at age 6. Fought off TO KEYNES by a half-length 24 days ago.
15-VELA AZUL: Last year's Group 1 Japan Cup hero on turf will try to add a second worldwide showcase trophy ... this time on dirt. It took until start No. 21 before he was tested against Group stakes competition at home. His success was credited with a move from dirt to turf, but now he must prove the reverse. His follow-up to the Japan Cup was a deflating 10th in the Group 1 Arima Kinen, also on grass.
Most Certain Exotics Contender:
COUNTRY GRAMMER has won this race before and hasn't finished worse than second in his last 9 starts.
Best Longshot Exotics Contender:
GEOGLYPH matched up well with the name hitters in Saudi Arabia and likely will be overlooked.
Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$80 win ALGIERS. $10 exacta part-wheel ALGIERS and COUNTRY GRAMMER over GEOGLYPH ($20).
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