Dubai World Cup: UAE Derby among Group 2 undercard races drawn

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The Group 2 races on the World Cup card – the UAE Derby, the Gold Cup, and the Godolphin Mile – were drawn and post positions assigned Monday.

The $1 million UAE Derby is the most meaningful of those races from an American perspective as a 200-point scoring race in the Road to the Derby program that determines the 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby field. Thirteen were entered in the 1 3/16-mile contest, which starts just before the first of two turns, but the horse that might be favored in international wagering pools, Worcester, isn’t eligible to earn Derby qualifying points. Bob Baffert still trains Worcester, and horses trained by Baffert after Feb. 28 are ineligible to earn Derby points.

Worcester drew post 11 and will be ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori. American trainer Doug O’Neill has two in the race, Ah Geez, who won a minor stakes here in February, and Tall Boy, winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas. Ah Geez, Tyler Gaffalione named, drew post 4, while Tall Boy breaks from post 10 under William Buick. Cairo, a potential player in from Ireland for Aidan O’Brien, drew post 4, while Dura Erede, a Grade 1 winner over turf in Japan, has a good draw in post 8.

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Shirl’s Bee, a Charles Fipke homebred trained by Doug Watson, finished second to Tall Boy in the 2000 Guineas but was taken out of the UAE Derby late last week after meeting with a setback.

The $1 million Gold Cup over two miles on turf drew 16 entrants, while the $1 million Godolphin Mile, a one-turn dirt race, went with 14. The Godolphin Mile field includes 2022 winner Bathrat Leon but not a single American-based horse.

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