G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen

Dramatically off form for the bulk of the 2025-2026 Dubai Racing Carnival, Sultan Ali's Dark Saffron (Flameaway) was put right into play from a wide draw in defence of his title in Saturday's $2-million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and outsprinted reigning GI Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Bentornato (Valiant Minister) to give jockey Connor Beasley and trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash a rolling Group 1 double. The pair teamed to win the Al Quoz Sprint with Native Approach about 35 minutes earlier. Defeated by a combined 50 lengths after taking his seasonal...

Saturday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 8.45 p.m., DUBAI WORLD CUP SPONSORED BY EMIRATES AIRLINE-G1, $12,000,000, NH4yo/up, SH3yo, 2000m Field: Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steal {Jpn}), Magnitude (Not This Time), Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.), Tap Leader (Tapiture). TDN Analysis: A disappointing third to Hit Show last spring, Forever Young has another chance to become the first horse to complete the Saudi Cup/Dubai World Cup double,...

Saturday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 8.45 p.m., DUBAI WORLD CUP SPONSORED BY EMIRATES AIRLINE-G1, $12,000,000, NH4yo/up, SH3yo, 2000m Field: Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steal {Jpn}), Magnitude (Not This Time), Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.), Tap Leader (Tapiture). TDN Analysis: A disappointing third to Hit Show last spring, Forever Young has another chance to become the first horse to complete the Saudi Cup/Dubai World Cup double,...

Saturday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 8.45 p.m., DUBAI WORLD CUP SPONSORED BY EMIRATES AIRLINE-G1, $12,000,000, NH4yo/up, SH3yo, 2000m Field: Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steal {Jpn}), Magnitude (Not This Time), Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.), Tap Leader (Tapiture). TDN Analysis: A disappointing third to Hit Show last spring, Forever Young has another chance to become the first horse to complete the Saudi Cup/Dubai World Cup double,...

American and Japanese champion Forever Young (Real Steel) and the Longines World's Best Racehorse Calandagan (Gleneagles) lead the nominations for the Dubai World Cup night on March 28. Japan's dirt superstar is nominated for the G1 Dubai World Cup alongside 2024 winner Laurel River (Into Mischief) and 2025 winner Hit Show (Candy Ride), among others. In the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic is Calandagan, alongside 2024 Sheema Classic winner Rebel's Romance (Dubawi), GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond (Awtaad), and 2025 winner Danon Decile (Epiphaneia). Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black),...

It's been a long time since anyone has seen the New Jersey-bred star Book'em Danno (Bucchero). He hasn't run since winning the GI Forego Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 23. There were rumblings that he would run in the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland, but he sat that one out. He also did not run in the GI Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint, where he likely would have been the favorite. Passing on an appearance at the World Championships is something that could cost him some Eclipse Award votes....

Previews by Alan Carasso, Brian Sheerin, Adam Houghton & Heather Anderson DUBAI, UAE -- After Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) overcame a torrid trip to take out the G2 UAE Derby some 373 days ago, big-spending Japanese owner Susumu Fujita boldly commented: "Looking forward, I would like to underline that I would like to win the Dubai World Cup." If ante-post markets are to be believed, those dreams are likely to become reality under the Saturday evening lights at Meydan Racecourse, as Forever Young is expected to jump a...

Nominations for Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on Apr. 5 were released this week. Headlining the nine-race card is the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline. A total of 173 horses have been entered, led by 20 Group/Grade 1 winners. The winners from 2023 and 2024, Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and Laurel River (Into Mischief), respectively, have signed on, as did the world's highest-earning horse, Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who drubbed a good field in the G1 Jebel...

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...

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...

by Heather Anderson and J.N. Campbell With New Year's celebrations firmly in the rearview, racing eyes turn to Dubai, as the $7.5-million Dubai World Cup Carnival kicks off at Meydan Racecourse. The DWCC culminates on Super Saturday, Mar. 4, the warmup for the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup card slated for Mar. 26. Of the seven races carded, five are black-type level and there are a quartet of stakes contests set to be decided in the desert on Friday. Anchoring the action is the $250,000 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1...

There was much cause for Irish celebration at Meydan on Saturday night when A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) and Ronan Whelan shot to glory in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint for Ado McGuinness. But a victory that meant just as much for one Irish jockey was that of Switzerland (Speightstown) in the other major sprint on the card, the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, which provided Tadhg O'Shea with his first Group 1 winner at the age of 40. O'Shea has not, however, been devoid of success throughout...