After a fancy ceremony in the shadow of the world's tallest building, the Dubai World Cup (G1) sets up as an old-fashioned rematch between Senor Buscador, the winner of the Feb. 24 Saudi Cup (G1) and the runner-up from that $20 million event, Ushba Tesoro, who also is the reigning World Cup champ.
There also are plenty of subplots in the $12 million race, the highlight of a full card of top-shelf stakes at Meydan Racecourse March 30.
Connections of the Saudi veterans made all the right noises after the March 27 post position draw at the towering Burj Khalifa.
Joe Peacock Jr., co-owner and breeder of Senor Buscador, pronounced himself "very happy" with gate 10. "We wanted outside and we got outside."
Ushba Tesoro, seeking to become only the second two-time winner behind Thunder Snow in 2018-19, got the 5 stall and trainer Noboru Takagi said he wasn't concerned.
"He's going to come from the back anyway," Takagi said, "so it doesn't matter."
Some of the other connections, to whom it might matter a lot, would have been happy to trade with Takagi. Among them were those involved in a potential pace duel between Kabirkhan, drawn in post 2 in the 12-horse field for the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4 miles) event, and Laurel River, coming from the outside gate.
"I kind of wanted the middle," said Doug Watson, who trains Kazakhstani-owned Kabirkhan, a son of California Chrome . "If he always broke really well I'd be delighted. But he hasn't done that. We've been working on it, but we hope he can do it on the night. At least it's a shorter way around."
Laurel River's jockey, Tadhg O'Shea, said with a sigh: "Obviously being right on the outside is far from ideal. Seeing that he's a horse with a lot of early speed, we'll just have to play the cards we're dealt."
Laurel River is one of two entries in the race, along with Defunded, formerly trained in California by Bob Baffert. Baffert still trains Newgate, who will carry the trainer's hope for a fifth World Cup win from post 6.
The American presence in the race goes much deeper still. Other than a four-horse Japanese contingent including defending champion Ushba Tesoro and Dubai-based long shot Military Law, every horse in the field has a United States connection.
Granted, they're not all coming directly from America. But with trainers Baffert, Todd Pletcher, Chad Summers, and Todd Fincher all represented, the flavor of the field is as American as apple pie.
The rundown starts with the least-experienced globetrotter of that quintet, one-time New Mexico stalwart Fincher. He burst into the international big time when Senor Buscador chased down Ushba Tesoro in the shadow of the wire to win the Saudi Cup.
"Something always happens to him in about every race … he always has about 10 or 11 horses to weave in and out of and pace and all that," Fincher said after the heart-stopping win. "He's never got the credit he deserved, and he finally got it."
The other U.S.-based runners in the Dubai World Cup bypassed the Saudi race and arrive in Dubai in various shades of freshness.
Baffert, who has won the World Cup with Silver Charm in 1998, Captain Steve in 2001, Arrogate in 2017, and Country Grammer in 2022, ships Newgate. The Into Mischief colt missed much of the 2023 season but finished second in the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) in January, then won the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) March 3 before heading for the desert.
Pletcher has Crupi, a son of 2008 World Cup winner Curlin . He has yet to win a graded stakes but impressed with a third-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) behind National Treasure and Senor Buscador in his last start. He was, however, well back of Senor Buscador.
Summers summons Clapton, who hustled right over to Dubai after finishing 11th in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and finished third in both the Al Maktoum Challenge (G1) and the Al Maktoum Classic (G2) in preparation for the World Cup. Clapton is by Arindel Farm's Brethren and was bred in Florida by Arindel.
Kabirkhan's American credentials are cemented by his sire, 2016 World Cup winner California Chrome. Kabirkhan was bred in Kentucky but started his career for Kazakhstani owners in Kazakhstan and later raced in Russia at 3. He was the talk of the World Cup Carnival, winning his first start by four lengths, then dominating the Al Maktoum Challenge by 4 3/4 lengths.
While his connections and large cheering section are Kazakhstani, his trainer, Doug Watson, is a highly successful Dubai-based American expat born in Ohio who early in his career mucked out stalls at Arlington Park near Chicago.
Japan has put renewed emphasis on dirt racing and made its influence felt with big wins in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Saudi Cup, and last year's Dubai World Cup. Ushba Tesoro has put an exclamation point on that effort with last year's win at Meydan and the second in the Saudi Cup. Before that race, Ushba Tesoro finished fifth in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Derma Sotogake, Wilson Tesoro, and Dura Erede complete the powerful Japanese contingent for the big race.
Derma Sotogake finished third in the 2023 Saudi Derby (G3), won the UAE Derby (G2), and used the latter as an entrée to the Kentucky Derby (G1), where he finished an honorable sixth. After a six-month break, he finished second to White Abarrio in the Breeders' Cup Classic He finished fifth in the Saudi Cup.
Dura Erede finished second to Derma Sotogake in the UAE Derby but has not been able to break through at the top level since his win in the 2022 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at 2 in Japan.
It goes without saying that all four Japanese entrants have strong North American pedigree influence with Sunday Silence the most prominent.
