The Dubai World Cup still is worth $12 million and still anchors a blockbuster card on the last Saturday in March, but that’s about the only thing that’s the same about the 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival.The Carnival starts Thursday, Jan. 21, three weeks later than standard and includes only seven programs this year, six Thursday cards followed by Super Saturday on March 6 three weeks in advance of the Dubai World Cup card. Those seven cards offer about $6 million in purses, while the 2020 Carnival had 10 programs worth $12.74 million in purses. The other stakes on the World Cup card took a haircut, as well, with the Dubai Turf down from $6 million to $4 million and the Sheema Classic from $6 million to $5 million. Such is the era of racing in COVID-19, which led to the untimely cancellation of the 2020 World Cup just days before the event.Horses from 11 countries, in addition to UAE-based stables, form the equine colony to support the Carnival racing, although American trainer Doug O’Neill, who found plenty of success running a Dubai string during the 2020 Carnival, has no Dubai-based stable this year. Frankie Dettori will ride the opening-night card, the Racing Post reported this week.The World Cup itself might come up light this year. The field for the Pegasus World Cup, which is Jan. 23, and the early prospective starters for the Feb. 20 Saudi Cup, a $20 million race introduced last season, demonstrate the lack of depth in the elite dirt-route ranks, and while the exceptional Charlatan is headed to the 1 1/8-mile Saudi Cup for trainer Bob Baffert, there’s no assurance he’ll go on to try 1 1/4 miles in Dubai. Title Ready, who won the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes this past Saturday at Fair Grounds, is being pointed to the Dubai World Cup, while the ranks of Dubai-based dirt horses could use an injection of younger talent.Some early clues about the strength of the local division should be revealed Thursday night during a seven-race card that has the Group 2, $228,000 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 as the featured race. Final entries for the program weren’t available at press time, but the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1, carded for about one mile around one turn, has Capezzano, at 117, the top-rated early entrant. Godolphin’s entrants, both trained by Saeed bin Suroor, are Military March, rated 113, and Gifts of Gold, rated 108. Neither horse has started in Dubai, the pair coming off turf and all-weather surface campaigns in Europe.The Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 is the first local stepping-stone toward the World Cup, and there are races Thursday leading to several division with rich World Cup races. The Group 2 Singspiel, over about 1 1/8 miles on turf, starts the road to the Dubai Turf and figures to be dominated by Godolphin, which has six of the 15 early entrants. Especially interesting among that sextet is Zakouski, last seen winning a listed race at Newmarket on Oct. 31 and a smart winner in both his Meydan grass races last winter. Also included on the Thursday program are the Grade 3, $120,000 Dubawi Stakes over about six furlongs on dirt; the Group 2, $163,000 Al Fahidi Fort over about seven furlongs on turf; and the Dubai Dash, a straight-course, five-furlong turf race.First post for the card is 9:30 a.m. Eastern. You can catch all the live action and wagering at DRFBets.com.