G1 Dubai World Cup

Reigning Japanese Horse of the Year Forever Young (Real Steel) will break from stall 6 under Ryusei Sakai in a field of nine for Saturday's $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who drew the gate number during the post-position ceremony at Meydan Racecourse on Wednesday morning, said, "I wanted middle to outer, so I'm pleased." Last year, Forever Young could manage only third in the Dubai World Cup behind Hit Show (Candy Ride), who is drawn alongside Forever Young in gate 5 as he tries...

It is, of course, a good thing, that the subjects of aftercare and slaughter are being so widely debated, with influential owners like Mike Repole and Aron Wellman all but demanding that the industry come together and solve the problem. Just last week, Pat Cummings, who has been working side-by-side with Repole on the issue, penned a letter to the TDN in which he revealed what he called "20 concise findings, with a funding model projection" that he and Repole have put together. Good for Cummings. Good for Repole. Owner...

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),...

7th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 1m, 3:21 p.m. ET. The full-brother of champion 3-year-old filly Nest (Curlin) makes the races under same trainer Todd Pletcher. SPARTACUS dam Marion Ravenwood (A.P. Indy) was a $2.6-million purchase by M.V. Magnier at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale while the first-time starter was in utero. Her other progeny includes GI 'Big Cap' victor Idol (Curlin) and MSW Lost Ark (Violence).     , Canaletto (Into Mischief) makes his first start after going for an even million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Sent to trainer Chad...

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...

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...

Juddmonte homebred Laurel River (Into Mischief), off since an overeager second in the Jan. 24 G3 Firebreak Stakes, will skip the Apr. 5 G1 Dubai World Cup, according to trainer Bhupat Seemar. The 7-year-old entire, whose G1 Saudi Cup bid did not materialise after sustaining a small mishap, was an imperious 8 1/2-length winner of the 2024 edition. "Laurel River is doing very good, but after his last gallop, we realize that there will not be enough time to get him fit for a race of this calibre," said Seemar....

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,...

On the road to Oaklawn Park from his barn at Fair Grounds, Kenny McPeek seemed like a man without a care in the world when reached by phone in his car. And why should he? His Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) will begin her 4-year-old year in the GII Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn and since last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff she has not missed a step. "If she's every bit as good as she was as a 3-year-old I think we'd be satisfied," McPeek...

Multiple Group/Grade I-winner Country Grammer (Tonalist) was represented by his first reported foal, a colt born in early February, at River Valley Stock Farm in New York, WinStar Farm announced via press release. Out of Bernarda (Bernardini), an unplaced daughter of Listed winner and Grade I-placed Nakano (First Samurai), the colt was bred by Scott and Debbie Pierce, who also bred Country Grammer. The dam's most recent to the races is a placed 2-year-old named Low Key (Bolt d'Oro). Bernarda is the distant female family of MGSW Carson City (My....

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...

Leading Horse of the Year candidate Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) has an early 2025 racing schedule that could include two races at Oaklawn or a trip to Dubai, trainer Kenny McPeek said Wednesday afternoon via a press release from the Hot Springs track. Thorpedo Anna's conditioner said the filly--nicknamed the 'Grizzly Bear' last season--is under consideration for the GII Azeri Stakes Mar. 8 and the GI Apple Blossom Handicap April 12. The Azeri is Oaklawn's final major prep for the Apple Blossom. McPeek said Thorpedo Anna might take on males...