Dubai World Cup

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- WinStar Farm, Commonwealth Thoroughbreds and Zedan Racing LLC's Country Grammer (Tonalist) was assigned gate 14 in a field of 15 when he goes out in defense of his title in Saturday's G1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline at Meydan Racecourse, with the draw held at the Armani Hotel located in the towering Burj Khalifa in Central Dubai. The 6-year-old, the final World Cup ride for jockey Frankie Dettori, won the GII San Antonio S. in dominating fashion in late December at Santa Anita...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Bloodstock agents are equal parts pedigree analysts, money managers and equine recruiters for those audacious (crazy?) enough to dabble in Thoroughbred ownership. Few have followed the trajectory of the career of Country Grammer (Tonalist) more closely than the well-respected Peter Bradley, who went to work on behalf of the late Paul Pompa, Jr. at the 2019 OBS April Sale. It was Bradley's name on the docket when the hammer fell in the first 20 minutes of the final day of the auction, having parted with...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Brooke Hubbard remembers the 2018 Keeneland September Sale almost as if it happened yesterday. A little past the midway point of the sixth day of bidding in Lexington, hip 1683--a colt from the first crop of Tonalist and offered by Dermot and Emma Quinn's Garrencasey Sales--walked into the back ring and immediately caught Hubbard's attention. A few minutes and $60,000 later, the May 11 foal was hers. "I bid twice and I was looking around thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, I must have missed something that...

Jet Set Racing Stable's Chilean Group 1 winner Super Corinto (Arg) (Super Saver), originally among a bulky field entered for the G2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan Mar. 25, will instead run in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, it was announced Friday. Trained by Amador Sanchez, the Southern Hemisphere 4-year-old colt began his career at Monterrico Racetrack in Peru, winning three of his four starts, before finishing second to O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) in the G1 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano at Hipodromo Chile last Apr. 2. A 1 1/4-length winner of...

WinStar Farm, Commonwealth Thoroughbreds and Zedan Racing's defending G1 Dubai World Cup champion Country Grammer (Tonalist) tops a dozen North American entries for the Dubai World Cup program at Meydan Racecourse Saturday, Mar. 25. The prospective fields were revealed overnight by the Dubai Racing Club. The 6-year-old is one of 13 in the field for the $12-million centerpiece of the meeting, including no fewer than eight runners from Japan topped by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who registered a half-length defeat of Country Grammer in the G1 Saudi Cup last...

Dubai's Super Saturday meeting at Meydan Racecourse saw World Pool's globally commingled turnover increase over 2022's figure by HK$18.9m (approx. $2.4m) to HK$224,802,517 (approx. $28.6m) across the eight races. The Ras Al Khor conditions race, which was won by Godolphin's Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}], saw the highest jump to HK$33,518,763 (approx. $4.3m) in total monies bet on the contest. Both Group 1 races on the card saw figures surpassing HK$30m, with the G1 Jebel Hatta raking in HK$33,366,784 (approx. $4.3m) and the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 drawing HK$31,560,463...

'Victorious' in the 2021 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 ahead of a fifth-place effort behind Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) in the G1 Dubai World Cup, 8-year-old Salute the Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}) sat a four-wide trip while punching the breeze and showed his superiour late stamina to best a game Bendoog (Gun Runner) in the $450,000 2023 edition sponsored By Emirates Airline Saturday evening at Meydan Racecourse to earn a return ticket to the $12-million feature in three weeks' time. The veteran galloper, a disappointing fifth behind World Cup market leader...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 2:39p.m. ET Against a field where several have high-profile connections and purple catalog pages, the Albaugh Family Stables look to be counted present with MILAN MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), their $440,000 KEESEP daughter of America's four-time reigning champion general sire. Hailing from the female line of Irish Mare of the Year, several time European/Irish champion, and four-time High-weight runner MG1SW Kooyonga (Ire) (Persian Bold {Ire}), the Dale Romans trainee is a full-sister to SW Little Menace. Their dam is...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA--Country Grammer (Tonalist) brings rock-solid credentials to the G1 Saudi Cup at Riyadh, according to his legendary rider Frankie Dettori, who says the Bob Baffert-trained 6-year-old can go one better than last year in Saturday's showpiece. Dettori also described Baffert's other runner in the race, the unexposed Taiba (Gun Runner), as a force to be reckoned with as the 52-year-old spoke alongside fellow luminary in the saddle, Joao Moreira, in the build-up to the world's richest race. "Country Grammer is very solid and never runs a bad race--touch...

A 73-strong catalogue of 2-year-olds for the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale on Mar. 21 is now online. Slated for 5 p.m. in the Meydan Racecourse Parade Ring, the sale's breezes will take place the day prior at the Dubai Racing Club Training Track at 7:45 a.m. on Monday, Mar. 20. Held for the first time in 2022, the inaugural sale has already produced 13 individual winners in five countries and there are also several group-placed horses. Among the best graduates is the winner Labeling (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is also...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival adds its own footnote to the study of flags, known as vexillology for the more serious, since its intent is to draw horses from all over the world. As the meet continues to march towards its big night in late March, another Friday of racing arrives with a trio of Group 3 events. Waving Godolphin Blue The G3 Dubai Millennium S. sports this week's headliner, as Grade I winner Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) returns for a new campaign after what could be considered a...

A unique breeding incentive for multiple group winner A'Ali (Ire) was announced by Newsells Park Stud on Thursday. Any breeders that send mares to the three-time Group 2 juvenile victor this breeding season will be entered into a prize draw to win two tickets to the G1 Dubai World Cup on Mar. 25, the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Final on July 15, or the Oct. 28 Rugby World Cup Final in Paris. Besides his Norfolk S. score, the son of the late Society Rock (Ire) also captured the G2 Prix Robert...