Dubai World Cup: Country Grammer stranded in post 14 in 15-horse field
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Country Grammer already has one Dubai World Cup win behind him but will have just one of 14 opponents outside him when a 15-runner field is loaded for Saturday’s $12 million World Cup.
After winning from post 4 here a year ago, Country Grammer will have to overcome post 14 if he’s to notch Dubai World Cup victory number 2. The right man for the job will be on his back. Frankie Dettori equaled Jerry Bailey’s record four World Cup wins when he piloted Country Grammer in 2022 and has the mount again Saturday.
“That’s all right. It’s a mile and a quarter race,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert. “We’ll leave it up to Frankie and he’ll get us around there. The horse came over from Saudi in good shape. He’s looking awesome.”
Fields for Saturday’s five Group 1 races were drawn Wednesday night, the first day of Ramadan, at the Armani Hotel, situated at the base of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, 2,720 feet tall.
Country Grammer finished second in the 1 1/8-mile Saudi Cup in 2022 and was second in the same race last month. The World Cup’s 1 1/4 miles suits the 6-year-old horse better than 1 1/8 miles, but there’s not an especially long run to the first of the Dubai World Cup’s two turns, and this draw is far from ideal. Country Grammer, as Barnes said, does appear to be in good shape, and with racing luck he still can provide Baffert with his fifth World Cup victory.
The lone horse outside Country Grammer in the starting gate is the horse that beat him in Saudi Arabia, Panthalassa, who led start to finish in the Saudi Cup and is a confirmed front-runner. His trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, makes no secret of tactics: Panthalassa is going for the lead, but he’ll have to work a bit harder from this wide draw.
His main pace rival is the race’s only other American-based horse, Super Corinto, an Argentine-bred who breaks from post 11. Super Corinto has all but no chance in the World Cup, but he very much could influence race shape.
Panthalassa is one of a remarkable eight Japan-based horses in the World Cup. Cafe Pharoah (post 10) finished third in the Saudi Cup; Geoglyph (post 9) was fourth; Crown Pride (post 12), another possible pace player, finished fifth; and Jun Light Bolt (post 3) was seventh. Vela Azul (post 5), winner of the 2022 Japan Cup, T O Keynes (post 6), and Ushba Tesoro (post 8) flew here directly from Japan.
Algiers, a dominant winner here this winter of Rounds 1 and 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge, and second favorite behind Country Grammer with English bookmakers, will break from post 13.
“We were drawn wide for both our prep races, so I’m sure that will be fine,” said co-trainer Simon Crisford.
Salute the Soldier, the Dubai-based gelding who won Round 3 of the al Maktoum Challenge in Algiers’ absence, drew post 4. Emblem Road, the Saudi Arabia-based winner of the 2022 Saudi Cup who was sixth in this year’s renewal, leaves from post 2. Inside him on the rail is massive longshot Remorse, with Bendoog, second behind Salute the Soldier on March 4, drawn in 7.
* The card’s supporting feature, the $6 million Sheema Classic at 1 1/2 miles on grass, came up an excellent race. The 10-runner field includes Rebel’s Romance, winner of the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf, and Shahryar, who captured this race last year.
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Shahryar, however, isn’t the top Japan-based horse in the race, with brilliant Equinox the likely favorite. Rebel’s Romance drew post 10, which isn’t overly harmful, with Equinox in post 6 and Shahyar drawn 7. Westover, the 2022 Irish Derby winner, breaks from post 1.
* Panthalassa dead-heated for first last year in the $5 million Dubai Turf with Lord North, who won the race outright in 2021 and is back for a third go Saturday.
Lord North drew post 3 in this one-turn, 1 1/8-mile turf contest, and will be hard-pressed to deal with Japan-based Do Deuce (post 13), Serifos (post 5) and Danon Beluga (post 4). Nations Pride landed the outside post in this 16-runner field, with the lone American in the race, Shirl’s Speight, drawn in post 2.
* Gunite, the most likely winner of the $2 million Golden Shaheen, a six-furlong dirt race, should be fine from post 13 with a long run to the turn. C Z Rocket, most recently second in an Oaklawn allowance, breaks from post 12, with U.S.-based entrants Super Ocho in post 3 and Sibelius poorly drawn on the rail.
* The $1 million Al Quoz Sprint over a straight six furlongs on turf, got 16 entries. Outside draws are preferred going down the Meydan straightaway, and Godolphin’s Al Suhail is up against it from post 2, as is the American horse Cazadero in post 3. Al Dasim, the leading turf sprinter so far this winter in Dubai, should be fine in post 10.
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