Life Is Good, Country Grammer Set for Dubai World Cup

WinStar Farm already had a major rooting interest in the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).

Now they will have two.

WinStar CEO, president, and racing manager Elliott Walden said Feb. 28 that both Life Is Good  and Country Grammer  will be running the March 26 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse.

Life Is Good has been targeting the rich Dubai race since his victory in the Jan. 29 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by 1/ST BET (G1), while Country Grammer will head into the 1 1/4-mile race off a solid second Feb. 26 in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1).

"They are both on schedule for Dubai at this point. They will both run there if all goes well between then and now and we'll see what happens," Walden said. "Both horses deserve to run and I've always been of the position that you have to manage each horse in a way that's best for each horse. We'll let it all play out on the racetrack."

Country Grammer, a 5-year-old son of Tonalist   trained by Bob Baffert, turned in an exceptional effort in the Saudi Cup. Running for the first time since May 31 of last year, he led with 100 yards left, only to lose by a half-length to 113-1 longshot Emblem Road.

"Bob did a marvelous job with Country Grammer, getting him ready for an effort like that off a layoff of about 270 days," Walden said. "He worked him three times out of the starting gate and that was brilliant."

WinStar bought Country Grammer for $110,000 from the Lane's End consignment at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages sale following the death of original owner Paul Pompa Jr. Since his victory for Baffert in the May 2021 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1), Amr Zedan of Zedan Racing, who owned Medina Spirit, and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, which sold microshares of the horse, joined the ownership group.

"We have a great partner in Amr Zedan, who bought into Country Grammer with the thought that we would go to Dubai if all went well in the Saudi Cup and that came to fruition," Walden said.

Life is Good, an Into Mischief   4-year-old who is owned by WinStar and China Horse Club and trained by Todd Pletcher, has not raced since his 3 1/4-length victory over 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go   in the Pegasus.

"Life Is Good is doing well," Walden said about the 2021 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner. "He breezed Friday (at Palm Beach Downs Training Center) and he'll breeze again this Friday. We're looking forward to taking him over there to Dubai."