Dubai: Rebel's Romance headlines Super Saturday in 8-year-old debut

There is, in fact, one superstar racing on the so-called Super Saturday card at Meydan Racecourse, and Rebel’s Romance takes a backseat to only a select few when it comes to international reputation.

The Super Saturday races are designed as preps for more important contests on the March 28 Dubai, but while many of them will produce no serious contenders for the main events, Rebel’s Romance, one of eight in the Dubai City of Gold, obviously has designs on a return trip to the Group 1 Sheema Classic. He won that $6 million race in 2024 and finished fourth last year while probably not quite at the peak of his powers.

And though Rebel’s Romance makes the first start of his 8-year-old season, that peak remains extremely high. His 7-year-old campaign ended with a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Rebel’s Romance’s bid at a third tally in North America’s most important grass race foiled by a homestretch blitz from 27-1 chance Ethical Diamond.

Rebel’s Romance has never started in the Group 2 City of Gold, run, like the Sheema Classic, over 1 1/2 miles on grass. William Buick, aboard for 25 of Rebel’s Romance’s 30 races, takes the call, and Rebel’s Romance, with 20 wins and $15.3 million purse earnings, towers over his rivals.

An even more senior horse, 9-year-old Tuz, also runs Saturday and has, like Rebel’s Romance, a Dubai World Cup card win on his résumé having captured the 2024 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Tuz missed that race last year but returned from a long layoff in December looking like his old self, beating up on overmatched rivals in a listed Meydan stakes. Saturday, he faces nine, including several American expats, in the Group 3 Mahab al Shimaal over six furlongs.

The Group 2 Al Maktoum Classic, a World Cup prep nominally headed by Heart of Honor, poses as the card’s featured race. But there’s no doubt which horse shines brightest Saturday at Meydan.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.