Twenty Things You Need to Know About the 20th Dubai World Cup
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African Story wins the 2014 Dubai World Cup. (Photo courtesy of Dubai Racing Club)
The Dubai World Cup is on March 28, 2015, and we have 20 facts about the race for you just in time for its 20th anniversary:
1. With a $10 million purse, the Dubai World Cup is the richest horse race in the world.
2. The race is 2,000 meters (or approximately 1 1/4 miles) long on the dirt.
3. 2014 winner African Story holds the record for the fastest time in the Dubai World Cup, completing the distance on synthetic in 2:01.61. He’ll be defending his title in this year’s edition of the race which will be on the new dirt surface.
4. Horses must be 4 years old or older to run and must be invited to participate in the race.
5. While people in many other nations can gamble on the World Cup, there is no on-track wagering in Dubai.
6. An estimated 50,000 racegoers attend the Dubai World Cup festivities each year.
7. The very first Dubai World Cup was won by American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Cigar in 1996.
8. The Dubai World Cup has been won by horses bred in six different nations: the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, Argentina, Brazil, and Japan.
9. The oldest living winner of the Dubai World Cup is Silver Charm, who lives at Old Friends Farm in Kentucky.
SILVER CHARM AT OLD FRIENDS
Photo courtesy Melissa Bauer-Herzog
10. U.S.-bred horses have won the most World Cups with nine victors: Cigar (1996), Silver Charm (1998), Captain Steve (2001), Pleasantly Perfect (2004), Roses in May (2005), Electrocutionist (2006), Curlin (2008), Well Armed (2009) and Animal Kingdom (2013).
11. Dubai World Cup night is comprised of nine horse races: the Dubai World Cup, the Al Quoz Sprint, the Godolphin Mile, the Dubai Gold Cup, the UAE Derby, the Dubai Golden Shaheen, the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Dubai Kahayla Classic (which is a race for purebred Arabian horses.) Prize money for the entire day of racing comes to $30 million.
12. This year’s World Cup festivities will culminate in a party where pop icon Kylie Minogue will play.
13. Japan’s only Dubai World Cup victory was also one of the most emotional Dubai World Cups in memory. The Japanese win came in 2011 with Victoire Pisa, less than three weeks after the nation was struck by a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
14. American Jerry Bailey has the most Dubai World Cup wins for a jockey (1996, 1997, 2001, 2002).
15. No horse has ever won the Dubai World Cup more than once.
16. Godolphin Racing, headquartered in Dubai and owned by the royal Maktoum family, has won the most Dubai World Cups as owners: in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2014.
17. Style is also paramount at the World Cup; there’s an annual fashion contest that garners entries from around the world:
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18. There are nine probable runners in this year’s Dubai World Cup, including two American-trained horses: 2014 Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome and 2014 Donn Handicap winner Lea. 2014 Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner Candy Boy is an American-bred horse, but has been sold and is now under the care of Dubai-based trainer Doug Watson. Probable runner Ron the Greek also started out his career in the U.S. but is now owned by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia.
19. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor has won six Dubai World Cups: in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2014.
20. You can watch this year’s Dubai World Cup LIVE starting at 12:30 p.m. ET only on FOX Sports 1!
2015 DUBAI WORLD CUP