News


West Coast Likely Dubai Favorite, Races Simulcast at Ruidoso Downs
Former Quarter Horse trainer Bob Baffert picking up gate number 9 for West Coast at the post position draw for Dubai World Cup on Wednesday.

© Virendra Saklani / Gulf News
West Coast Likely Dubai Favorite, Races Simulcast at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—MARCH 29, 2018—Gary and Mary West’s reigning champion three-year-old male West Coast is the early favorite for Saturday’s $10-million Dubai World Cup and wagering on the entire World Cup card is available at Billy’s Race Book adjoining Ruidoso Downs.

Races six through nine from Meyden Racecourse in Dubai will be offered live on Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m. mountain time. Wagering on the entire card is provided on Friday. The Dubai World Cup at about one-and-one-quarter miles has a 10:50 a.m. post time.

This is one of the most interesting runnings of the Dubai World Cup.

West Coast will be trying to give trainer Bob Baffert his fourth Dubai World Cup victory. Last year, West Coast won five straight races — two Grade 1 — highlighted by his three-and-one-quarter-length win over Gunnevera in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

An earner of $3.6-million, West Coast finished ahead of Gunnevera in the $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic and then the $16-million Pegasus World Cup. West Coast finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and then second in the Pegasus World Cup, his most recent start.

Adding to the intrigue is Charles Fipke’s homebred Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Forever Unbridled attempting to become the first female winner of the Dubai World Cup and Godolphin’s Talismanic running in the Dubai World Cup on the dirt after winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Forever Unbridled, trained by Dallas Stewart, is making her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff over Abel Tasman back on November 3. After finishing third in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, she won each of her three 2017 starts — two Grade 1 stakes and one Grade 2 race.

Talismanic won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf by one-half length in his only North American start. He prepared for the Dubai World Cup with a win in the Prix Darshaan at Chantilly in France on March 6. That race was on an artificial surface while each of his other 17 career races have been on the turf.

A son of Medaglia d’Oro, Talismanic has the breeding to make the transition from turf to dirt.

For complete Ruidoso Downs’ information, go to www.raceruidoso.com, visit the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino Facebook page and follow the Ruidoso Press Box (@RuiPressBox) on Twitter.