Dubai World Cup 2023 is Confirmed For March 25

The high-quality racing may be over for a few weeks following the 2022 Breeders’ Cup, but the attention will quickly switch to some of the big race days of 2023. Connections will already be plotting their route back to the Breeders’ Cup in 2023, which will be staged at Santa Anita next November.

One of the first big races on the calendar for 2023 comes in the form of the Dubai World Cup, which will be staged at Meydan Racecourse on March 25, 2023.

So, according to the horse racing news, which horses are potential runners in the richest horse race in the world?

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Previous Winners & Details

The Dubai World Cup will headline the card on Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan Racecourse on March 25, and it has been targeted by some of the biggest names in the sport since its inception in 1996. The field will compete over a distance of 2,000 meters on the dirt, with the inaugural edition of the race being won by the legendary Cigar.

There was a shock winner of the race in 2022, as Country Grammer, for trainer Bob Baffert, managed to cause an upset and beat Life Is Good and Hot Rod Charlie. That victory ended a three-year dominance achieved by Godolphin, which included back-to-back wins for Thunder Snow in 2018 and 2019.

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Rich Strike Could Head Talented Field

The Breeders’ Cup Classic will be forever remembered as the day that Flightline etched his name into the history books with a dominant victory at Keeneland.

However, one of the big stories behind the four-year-old was the strong performance of 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike. The horse for Eric Reed traveled extremely well to take fourth in Grade 1, as he finished ahead of both Life Is Good and Hot Rod Charlie.

It was a very pleasing run by the opening Triple Crown winner of 2022, and there is every chance that he will be staying in training for the coming season. The conditions on the Tapeta surface are likely to favor him more than most, and it is often a track where late speed can do a lot of damage. It’s unclear how many big wins he will achieve in 2023, but his big chance for another significant purse is likely to come at Meydan.

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Other Classic Contenders May Be Likely

Hot Rod Charlie has a number of international entries over the coming months, and that could mean a second effort in the Dubai World Cup may not be unlikely in March. The four-year-old could only play a small role in the Classic, as he eventually managed to finish back in sixth after a lightning pace was set by Life Is Good and Flightline.

However, Meydan did bring the best out of Hot Rod Charlie in 2022, as he landed a Group 2 prize in early February, before later finishing second to Country Grammer in the Dubai World Cup.

Another potential runner from the Classic field could come in the form of Taiba. Bob Baffert won the race in 2022, and this three-year-old could have a massive role to play if he remains in training in 2023. He was one of the best finishers behind Flightline in the Classic, but he just couldn’t get past Olympiad to take second.

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His form before that run shows that the distance will be no issue at Meydan, as he was the winner of the G1 Pennsylvania Derby and was second in the G1 Haskell. However, it remains to be seen whether one of Baffert’s best horses in training will be making the journey to the Middle East in early 2023.