Dubai Gold Cup: Saddler's Rock leads field with no standouts

The Group 3 Dubai Gold Cup came up a soft spot for a $1 million purse, but just getting the horses around the turf course in good order would be an improvement on last year’s edition.

The 2012 Gold Cup was called off midrace after a fallen horse obstructed the course. The race was rerun later that night, and two horses were injured – one fatally – in the second running.

This year’s field of 10 for the two-mile stayers race is a hodgepodge of Europeans and locals that has no clear favorite. Saddler’s Rock is a multiple Group 2 winner over long distances who should improve upon a fifth-place finish in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy here March 2.