INTERNATIONAL: Italian Frankie Dettori secured his fourth victory in the prestigious Dubai World Cup on Saturday (March 26) by riding Country Grammer to victory for controversial U.S. trainer Bob Baffert as the hot favorite Life Is Good failed in the final stages.
Life is Good, which had won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the Pegasus World Cup took the lead under jockey Irad Ortiz but failed to increase the pace in the home straight and Country Grammer surged past in the colors of owner Amr Zedan.
Hot Rod Charlie, ridden by Flavien Prat finished second with Chuwa Wizard third for Japan, ridden by Yuga Kawada.
Dettori had previously won the race on Dubai Millennium, Moon Ballad, and Electrocutionist.
Baffert's fourth victory in the 12 million U.S. dollar race comes as the trainer is under pressure in America after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance after winning last year’s Kentucky Derby.
Earlier, the five-million-dollar Dubai Turf ended in a dead heat for the first time in the race’s history, as Lord North, jockeyed by Dettori, and Panthalassa shared the win in a dramatic photo finish.
The race almost finished in a rare three-way dead heat with Vin De Garde, whose late outside surge saw the Hideaki Fujiwara-trained thoroughbred pipped to the line.
Shahryar, under jockey Cristian Demuro and Japanese trainer Fujiwara, held off a fast-finishing Yibir to win the six-million-dollar Dubai Sheema Classic.