Dubai World Cup

Juddmonte Farms' Laurel River (Into Mischief--Calm Water, by Empire Maker), a spectacular and record-setting winner of the 2024 G1 Dubai World Cup, has been retired from racing and will begin covering mares at Big Red Farm on the island of Hokkaido in Japan from this season, according to a news item on the nursery's website. A stud fee will be announced in two weeks' time. Trained across his first seven starts by Bob Baffert, the homebred won his maiden in his 3-year-old debut, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in a strong...

After another big week of Kentucky Derby preps and with the Dubai World Cup on the horizon, there was plenty to unpack in this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland. The trio of Zoe Cadman, Randy Moss, and T.D. Thornton broke down the weekend's biggest performances. Cadman made sure to school her American colleagues on the correct pronunciation of The Puma (Essential Quality), the winner of the GIII Tampa Bay Derby. "He is named for Gustavo Delgado Sr., because apparently that's what they call him and I can kind...

Despite the current conflict in neighboring countries, G2 1351 Turf Sprint winner Reef Runner has been training in Dubai to make his next start on Dubai World Cup day. Owner Alex Lieblong joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to talk about his decision to soon be joining his stable star in Dubai.

Connections of some of the leading European-trained Dubai World Cup entries are said to be taking a watching brief on the conflict in the Middle East before firming up running plans for the fixture that boasts over $30 million in prize-money on Saturday, March 28. On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Shadai Race Horse Company's Masquerade Ball and Jantar Mantar would not travel from Japan to Meydan for their intended starts in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Dubai Turf. However, leading Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien and the Aga Khan Stud's...

Trainer David Fawkes issued an upbeat report on Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Reef Runner (The Big Beast) as he continues his preparations for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Racecourse on Mar. 28. "He's doing excellent," Fawkes said. "Obviously I've got to do a lot by video or telephone, but watching him train, he loves it there and he's doing great." The 5-year-old is taking everything in his stride according to Fawkes in spite of the intermittent military activity taking place around him at the sprawling facility, which is...

The Shadai Race Horse Company, which owns Masquerade Ball (Duramente) and Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice), has confirmed that neither horse will travel from Japan to the Dubai World Cup meeting, citing the uncertainty surrounding the conflict in Iran and across the Middle East. According to a report on the Nikkan Sports website, the stakeholders of the racing club reached their decision "based on the ongoing uncertainty regarding the smooth transportation to Dubai and the difficulty of ensuring the safety of horses and riders due to the lack of a clear...

Last year's G1 Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) sat a little closer to the front than usual and just got up to nail the wandering pacesetter 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Accelerize (Omaha Beach) by a head in Saturday's GIII Mineshaft S. at Fair Grounds. Time to Win (Not This Time) was third. The even-money favorite tracked in a three-wide third through an opening quarter in :23.53. Back a spot into fourth through a half mile :47.04, Hit Show was asked to quicken three furlongs...

Stablemates Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and White Abarrio (Race Day) exited their one-two finish in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in good shape and connections are still contemplating next moves for the 7-year-olds, according to trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "Nothing's signed yet. Just talking it over briefly, something like the GII Oaklawn Handicap comes into play for one of them," Joseph said. "And also the G1 Dubai World Cup. But nothing's really been decided yet. We're going to sleep on it and then decide." The Oaklawn Handicap will be run at...

According to a story by David Grening in the Daily Racing Form, according to trainer Bill Mott, the main goal in 2026 for the newly minted Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) will be the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Mott said that while he has not yet mapped out a schedule for Sovereignty, he has already ruled out a start in the March 28 GI Dubai World Cup. That news came as somewhat of a surprise considering that Sovereignty's owner, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is Vice President...

Twelve months on from having completed a Bhupat Seemar one-two finish, Deva Racing's Imperial Emperor (Dubawi) put his stablemate and 2025 winner Walk of Stars (Dubawi) to the sword approaching the final 400 metres of Friday's G1 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan and reported home a comfortable winner to punch his ticket to the G1 Dubai World Cup over an extra 100 metres in a couple months' time. In the process, the 6-year-old has become the 64th worldwide elite-level winner for his spectacular sire. Exiting a victory over Commissioner King...

The Eclipse Award for Older Dirt Male and Female have gone to Japan's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and last year's Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). Forever Young, who returned to Del Mar in 2025 to win the GI Breeders' Cup Classic after coming up just short in 2024, also won this year's G1 Saudi Cup and ran third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, his only non-winning effort across his four starts for trainer Yoshito Yahagi and owner Susumu Fujita. The 2024 Horse of the...

8th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1m, 3:50 p.m. ET Shadwell Stable's ELGHEED (Tapit), a $1.2-million Keeneland September purchase in 2024, makes her first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher. The filly is the first foal out of Immediate Impact (Into Mischief), a half-sister to champion Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) who won her lone racetrack appearance for Bob Baffert in 2019. The mare's second foal, a filly by Flightline, sold for $1.6 million to Douglas Scharbauer at the 2025 Keeneland September sale. Brad Cox saddles firster Prom Queen (Quality Road),...