Dubai Turf Cliffhanger Ends in Dead Heat

A gritty three-way cliffhanger in the $5 million Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (G1T) produced a dead heat between Japan's Panthalassa  and Great Britain challenger and last year's winner Lord North .

Also in the hunt at the wire was Japan's Vin De Garde , who closed from seventh about 300 meters from the wire to finish a flying third, a short head behind the two winners.

Panthalassa, ridden by Yutaka Yoshida, set the pace early in the about 1 1/8-mile race. They were closely stalked through much of the race by American challenger Colonel Liam  under Irad Oritz Jr., who teamed to win second consecutive win in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Baccarat (G1T) Jan. 29.

Soon after a compact field rounded into the top of the stretch, Lord North and rider Frankie Dettori found running room 400 meters from the wire in midstretch, and their rally carried them from fifth to second place in 100 meters. In a blink, they were even with Colonel Liam and blew past him to continue furiously closing the gap with Panthalassa. Meanwhile, Vin De Garde and Mickael Barzalona lit the afterburners 300 meters out and rocketed after the leaders. When these three hit the wire, the finish was so close that it took stewards several minutes before they could declare Vin De Garde the third-place finisher.

In the end, Panthalassa and Lord North were inseparable, both finishing the race in 1:45.77.

American Colonel Liam faded to ninth, having no response in the stretch.

The victory was the fourth of five on the card for Japan-based horses and the third for trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who had earlier saddled Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors (G2T) winner Stay Foolish  and Godolphin Mile Sponsored by Nakheel (G2) winner Bathrat Leon .

"Usually when he runs he takes the lead and really runs off with the race," Yahagi said. "We thought he was going to go a little bit further out wide than he did but he really held on until the end. He's always been a really good starter so we weren't too worried about the draw (post 12).

"We've had a lot of good luck today so we didn't think we'd lose. I've never known a wait like that in a photo finish," he continued. "As the Japanese racehorse level has increased over the years I've been really proud to showcase it on the global stage."

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Lord North has made only one start since he won last year's Dubai Turf with Dettori by three lengths.

"I'm thrilled with our boy. He's been off for a year with a very nasty throat infection and we've managed to get him back just in time," John Gosden said. "We had a prep for this in the Lingfield Winter Derby as a trial for this and come here so we're over the moon."

While the stewards deliberated, Dettori said he thought he'd been beat but was hoping for a dead-heat.

"He had half the year off, he almost died last year so to get him back to performing at this level, it is a great credit to John Gosden and the team. He gave me everything he had so I can't ask for anything more."

And then after the decision, Dettori said, "What an amazing achievement by everyone and this horse, he's just a fighter. Very few horses can do what he's done and come back to win the Dubai Turf for the second time. What a horse."

The trainers of the winners indicated the two victors could face a rematch during Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1).

Panthalassa is a 5-year-old son of Lord Kanaloa , out of the Montjeu mare Miss Pemberley . He was bred by Pangloss Y.K. and Toshihiro Hirosaki, et al. Miss Pemberley has also produced group 2-placed, winning siblings Etendard and Dimension, both by Deep Impact .

Lord North is a 6-year-old gelded son of Godolphin's top sire Dubawi  and is the first stakes winner out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Najoum . The mare has yearling colt by Too Darn Hot .

The two winners paid $13.30 and $5.60, respectively, in United States betting pools.

Stay Foolish the Giant-Killer in Gold Cup

The day quickly became extraordinary for Yahagi, who had two wins within 35 minutes.

Stay Foolish  played the role of giant-killer in the Gold Cup, capturing the two-mile turf contest in the final strides to upset undefeated, even-money favorite Manobo .

After a strong pace led largely by Volcanic Sky from the break, the race soon became about the closers. Godolphin homebred Manobo, trained by Charlie Appleby, looked like he'd seal his second consecutive win at Meydan two furlongs out when he got head in front of Stay Foolish in driving fashion. Stay Foolish and Christophe Lemaire refused to give in and re-rallied with 50 meters remaining to win by half a length.

"After Saudi he enjoyed the atmosphere in Dubai, he was excellent, very comfortable here. He loves Dubai I think," said Yahagi. "I did not give any orders to the jockey. Christophe Lemaire knows what to do. I am not sure what we do with him next. We will go back to Japan but my dream would be to go to Royal Ascot for the Gold Cup but I would need to speak with the owner first."

Lemaire said he thought he was running for second when Manobo passed him.

"I thought we were done. Stay Foolish doesn't have a big turn of foot but when the Godolphin horse struggled close to the finish my horse got a lot of confidence and moved forward again. Obviously Manobo was the one to beat," he said.

Al Madhar  finished third, two lengths behind Manobo. The final time was 3:19.64.

Stay Foolish, who paid $14.20 to win in simulcast wagering offered in the U.S, is a 7-year-old Shadai Farm homebred by Stay Gold  out of the King Kamehameha  group 3-placed stakes winner Kauai Lane . The Gold Cup winner is the mare's only stakes winner but she has produced seven winners from as many foals to race.