William Buick will ride Mucho Gusto in Dubai World Cup; Dettori on Sir Winston

William Buick will ride Mucho Gusto in the Dubai World Cup on March 28, trainer Bob Baffert said Thursday.

Mucho Gusto was fourth most recently in the Saudi Cup, following a victory in the Pegasus World Cup, both with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. But Ortiz has chosen not to leave the country and fly to the United Arab Emirates next week owing to concerns of the coronavirus pandemic.

Buick won the World Cup in 2015 on Prince Bishop. His biggest win last year on the World Cup card came aboard Blue Point in the Al Quoz Sprint.

He has won numerous top international races, including the Epsom Derby and top prizes at Royal Ascot like the Queen Anne Stakes, to name just two of his many successes. He has two Breeders' Cup wins, in the 2018 Juvenile Turf on Line of Duty and the 2017 Filly and Mare Turf on Wuheida.

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Meanwhile, Frankie Dettori will ride Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston in the World Cup, trainer Mark Casse said Thursday. Dettori replaces Tyler Gaffalione, who also did not want to travel overseas due to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period he would have to serve upon returning to the U.S.

Dettori has won the World Cup three times, but not since 2006 aboard Electrocutionist.

“Frankie’s excited to ride him,” said Casse, who added that he spoke to Dettori a few hours after he accepted the mount “and he told me everything about the horse. I was quite impressed.”

Sir Winston, who won an allowance race at Aqueduct on Jan. 31, arrived in Dubai on Wednesday. Casse said Sir Winston would not have a workout at Meydan. He worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds Monday at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida.

- additional reporting by David Grening