Banishing Opens Dubai World Cup Card With Win for U.S.

Veteran runner Banishing secured victory for the United States in the first Thoroughbred race of the day on the Dubai World Cup card when he surged past front-running Commissioner King to post a 2 1/4-length victory in the $1 million Godolphin Mile (G2) March 28 at Meydan. Based in the U.S. with trainer David Jacobson, Banishing landed the second million-dollar race of his career Saturday as last season he won the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) by 2 1/4 lengths. In winning at Meydan for owners Jacobson, Sharaf Mohammed Al Hariri, and Lawrence Roman, the 6-year-old Ghostzapper gelding posted a victory outside of the U.S. for the first time. Jacobson was not at Meydan but said from his Kentucky base: "I'm very excited, he ran a super race. I knew he was doing good, he looked great and my assistant (Marino Carlos) has done a great job with him. It's terrific, what can I say? It's indescribable. "I wasn't sure about the trip. I knew Commissioner King had a lot of speed and was going to the lead. I was hoping we'd stalk, just like it worked out. Looked like he was getting in a little trouble there, but the jockey rode him perfect. Took him out, got him in the clear and Banishing ran one of his top races." After breaking from Post 4, Banishing and jockey Silvestre De Sousa tracked Commissioner King into the turn. In the straight Banishing was moved to the outside where he reeled in the front-runner on his way to victory. Trainer Bhupat Seemar picked up the lesser placings as Commissioner King held second while Mendelssohn Bay, who also raced in a tracking position early, finished third. (Seemar-trained Diamond Dealer finished fourth.) De Sousa said: "My horse was coming back in trip and it suits him, he's a proper miler. There was a lot of pace in the race and I just held the horse where he wanted to be. He took the turn a bit wrong, with the wrong leg, but he responded well under pressure. "I was happy to follow him [Commissioner King] and also to have Mendelssohn Bay on my inside. I just took the safe option but the horse wasn't helping me, he was lugging to the outside when he came into the straight." Banishing entered Saturday's 1,600-meter test off an eighth-place finish in last month's Saudi Cup (G1). This win marks the third straight year a U.S.-based runner has captured the Godolphin Mile as Raging Torrent won in 2025 and Two Rivers Over in 2024. Trainer Doug O'Neill sent out both of those runners. Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Banishing is out of the winning A.P. Indy mare Dowager, who also has produced four winners from five starters, including stakes-placed Nonsensical. Saturday's top three finishers were all Kentucky-breds. Hall of Famer Ghostzapper is pensioned at Adena Springs North. He'll also be celebrated at Gulfstream Park Saturday with the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3).