USA wins trifecta at 2017 Dubai World Cup, Arrogate gets another victory

By Joseph Hammond

Reporting from Dubai, UAE -- In only the second rainy night in the history of the Dubai World Cup, Arrogate, the superstar horse trained by the legendary Bob Baffert, galloped to an incredible come-from-behind win Saturday on a wet track.  Arrogate pocketed $6 million with his victory.

Dubai World Cup 2017 Preview: It's Arrogate's race to lose

By Joseph Hammond

Reporting from Dubai, UAE -- Last year’s Dubai World Cup was won by California Chrome, who outran all comers to take the world's richest horse race.  Chrome's win was particularly sweet after failing to win the 2015 Dubai World Cup.

Legendary horse racing announcer Trevor Denman to retire

In a press release issued yesterday, Trevor Denman, the voice of Santa Anita since 1983, has announced his retirement from The Great Race Place and will not return for the 2015-16 race meet which begins on December 26.

Prince Bishop crowned winner of 2015 Dubai World Cup, California Chrome places second and plans Royal Ascot run

Prince Bishop / Photo Credit: Dubai Racing Club/Neville Hopwood

Reporting from Dubai -- In the Middle Ages, the “prince bishop” of a jurisdiction was an individual who was both a bishop and a civil governor of the territory. Often the bishop's jurisdiction and the area he governed were not in alignment, as is the case of the world’s last prince bishop (The Catalonian Bishop of Urgell is a Co-Prince of Andorra).

European history aside, everything was in alignment for the 8-year-old horse Prince Bishop and his Danish-British jockey William Buick in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. Some oddsmakers had the horse a mere 17-1 chance to win (the closest odds at post time were 12-1).  Considering that Bishop already had a prior loss to African Story, few gave him much of a chance.

Dubai World Cup 2015 Preview: This One’s for the Chromies

Reporting from Dubai -- They are called Chromies: the legions of California Chrome fans who in the past have descended on the California horse’s big races. Those fans made themselves particularly visible during the horse's Triple Crown appearances last year.

Bayern and jockey Martin Garcia win 2014 Breeders' Cup and defeat California Chrome

Arcadia, Calif. -- California Chrome, the American thoroughbred and one of the favorites to win the 2014 Breeder’s Cup Classic, fell two spots short of claiming the $5 million prize this past Saturday in front of a full house in attendance at Santa Anita Park.

The Big Race: 2014 Dubai World Cup is an African Story

Dubai, UAE -- For a while, the 2014 Dubai World Cup night belonged to horses with Asian connections, but the Big Race ultimately was written by African Story.

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of African Story and the signature trainer at Godolphin, notched his sixth victory in the 2014 Dubai World Cup in a field that lacked marquee American horses.  Brazil’s Silvestre de Sousa set a new track record atop the 7-year-old gelding who went to the posts a 12-1 longshot.  In addition to the victory, African Story shaved more than a second off the 2012 track record held by Monterosso.

Dubai World Cup 2014 Preview: Will the synthetic Tapeta track slow another favorite and prompt switch to dirt?

Dubai, UAE -- The Super Bowl is to the NFL what Dubai’s World Cup is to horse racing: the richest event of the year.  The race offers 10 million dollars in prize money, of which 6 million goes to the winner.

The first Dubai World Cup in 1995 was won by Cigar, the storied Kentucky Derby winner.  Cigar's victory is still celebrated by the United Arab Emirates because it signaled that the Dubai race could attract the sport’s best. In the following 19 years, numerous Breeders' Cup and Triple Crown entrants have traveled the roughly 7,000 miles from the United States' coast to Dubai to compete in this rich event.

Including Cigar's victory, U.S. horses has won eight of the fourteen Dubai World Cups at Ned Al Sheba. But since 2010, when the race moved to the Meydan, American-based horses have struggled.

Dubai World Cup 2014: Jennifer Lopez expands profile with push into sports world

Dubai, UAE -- Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez has sold over 55 million records worldwide since her recording debut in 1999, and has starred in several Hollywood movies, but 2014 may be her year in sport.

Turkmen President injured winning bizarre horse race

Throughout history, powerful rulers and their horses have had odd relationships. After all, Roman Emperor Caligula named his horse a consul. More recently, the horse of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov almost killed him.

Wearing traditional national Turkmen dress, the authoritarian leader was thrown from his horse and briefly knocked unconscious late last month in a race held in Turkmenistan.

Animal Kingdom’s win is big for U.S. racing

When Animal Kingdom won the Dubai World Cup by two-and-a-half lengths this past Saturday night, there was a collective sigh of relief from the American horse racing community.

Since Cigar and Soul of the Matter finished first and second at the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996, American horses have dominated the event. Indeed, up until 2009, eight of the race's fourteen winners had been American horses.

Recently however, from 2009 until this year's victory by Animal Kingdom, American horses have struggled at the World Cup.

Animal Kingdom wins 2013 Dubai World Cup

Dubai -- Dubai may be located in the United Arab Emirates, but for one night it was part of the Animal Kingdom. After a horse themed half-time show, Animal Kingdom blew away the competition in what proved to be the night’s biggest race. The horse, trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Joel Rosario, became the first American horse to win the competition since 2009.

Lance Armstrong effect? Horse Racing looks to end use of Lasix

Arcadia, Calif. -- Call it the Lance Armstrong effect, as the Breeders' Cup, one of horse racing’s most prestigious events, began enforcing its first ban on a controversial substance known as Lasix.

In recent years, the world of sports has seen a number of high-profile, performance-enhancing drug controversies, including those of cyclist Lance Armstrong and San Francisco Giants' star Barry Bonds. Additional controversies in boxing and American football have led to calls for more stringent testing and for greater efforts to clean up their respective sports.

Now it appears it maybe horse racing’s turn.

Fort Larned wins 2012 Breeders' Cup, stuns Baffert-trained Game On Dude

Santa Anita, California -- This weekend proved that home field advantage doesn’t mean much in horse racing. Such was the harsh lesson learned Saturday night by Bob Baffert's Game on Dude, who despite being 5-0 at Santa Anita, failed to finish in the money at Saturday’s 5 million dollar Breeders' Cup.

Zenyatta returns to the Breeders' Cup, in bronze form

Fan Admires Zenyatta Statue / Joe Hammond

Santa Anita, California -- While Zenyatta is retired and will not be racing in today’s Breeders' Cup Classic, her bronze statue near the paddock still drew plenty of attention as many fans posed with it. Zenyatta, a horse whose style of last minute come-from-behind victories endeared her to horse racing fans, was immortalized recently with a new bronze statue at Santa Anita.

Breeders' Cup comes after rough year for Bob Baffert

Even before Game on Dude ran in March’s Dubai World Cup Classic, Bob Baffert’s trip to Dubai was a near disaster. The legendary 59-year-old horse trainer suffered a heart attack on the trip, an event which foreshadowed a difficult year for both Baffert and his horses.

Dubai World Cup 2012: Monterosso Continues Decade of Longshot Winners

Special from Dubai -- Three years, three longshot winners.

The triumph of Godolphin’s Monterosso in Saturday night’s Dubai World Cup maintains an unlikely trend in the world's richest horse race. For three consecutive years, the post time odds on the last three Dubai World Cup winners were all 10-1 or greater.

Dubai World Cup Preview

SPECIAL FROM DUBAI -- Chantal Sutherland, riding Game On Dude, will make history in the Dubai World Cup tonight, as no female jockey has ever previously competed in the 17 year-old event.  Although Game On Dude is an emotional favorite in tonight's 10 million dollar Dubai World Cup, the event offers plenty of other of plotlines and historic firsts.  Here are a few:

Kentucky Derby 2011 Preview & Prediction

Calvin Borel chases his own "Triple Crown" today because were he to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby, he would become the first jockey ever to win three consecutive Kentucky Derby races.

Belmont Stakes 2010 Prediction: Ice Box

After a careful look at the horses and their recent performances, it seems easy to predict that Ice Box will win the 142nd Belmont Stakes.

With neither Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, nor Preakness Winner Lookin At Lucky entered in today's race, Ice Box appears likely to pull off the win and upset First Dude, the Sarah Palin-themed horse.