Two of America’s top older horses, Game on Dude and The Factor, are among the favorites for tomorrow’s $10 million Dubai World Cup and $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen, respectively, at Meydan Race Course in the United Arab Emirates. If both win, they stand to collect $7.2 million in purses.
“[It’s] just [enough] to break even on medical bills,” joked their trainer, Bob Baffert, who yesterday was released from the hospital in Dubai, where he underwent surgery after suffering a heart attack when he arrived last Monday.
In an interview with the Daily Racing Form from his hospital room on Wednesday, broadcast over the net at drf.com, Baffert — white-haired but eternally young since he switched from quarter horses to thoroughbreds 20 years ago — looked drawn, tired and subdued, every bit of his 59 years. A victory by the 5-year-old gelding Game on Dude in the world’s richest race, or by the 4-year-old colt The Factor, named for Bill O’Reilly’s nightly show on Fox News, would be the perfect tonic for the Hall-of-Fame horseman.
Baffert, arguably the most famous trainer in America if not the world, is expected to attend the race.
“I hope [Game on Dude] is in a position to be in a stretch drive, because he’s really tough,” said Baffert, a two-time World Cup winner with Silver Charm and Captain Steve. “If they’re turning for home and he’s right there, it will be exciting. I don’t know if it’s worth keeling over for, but I’ll be excited.”
The Dubai World Cup concludes a nine-race card at Meydan that resembles our Breeders’ Cup, except it is worth more money. Total purses are $27 million, with a pair of $5 million races (the value of the Breeders’ Cup Classic) preceding the World Cup.
Advance wagering on the World Cup’s eight stakes races will be available today at Aqueduct, the Belmont Café and through NYRA Rewards, along with Nassau and Suffolk OTB. Betting opens tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. The first four races (first post 9:10 a.m.) will be shown on the NYRA Channel 71 until 11:30 a.m. The NYRA in-house TV, NYRA Rewards over the Internet, HRTV and TVG will carry the entire card live.
Dubai World Cup Analysis
Post racing writer Ed Fountaine profiles tomorrow’s $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup.
ANALYSIS: The world’s richest race drew a full field of international all-stars, with no single standout. Over the first 14 years of the World Cup, when it was run on dirt at Nad Al-Sheba, eight American horses won. But since moving to the synthetic Tapeta surface at the new Meydan Racecourse, the World Cup was won by horses from Brazil and Japan, who paid $52.40 and $36.60, respectively.
So it doesn’t hurt to shop for a price. A good race over the Tapeta, or another synthetic surface, or on turf, is a big advantage; as is proven ability to handle the distance vs. Grade 1 company.
LIVE LONG SHOTS: Zazou won a prep for this in France and was third in the Hong Kong Cup before that. Capponi has won three straight over this track. Prince Bishop gets the home-team’s go-to rider, Frankie Dettori. Smart Falcon is a superstar in Japan but has no synthetic experience.
THE BET: The New Zealand-bred, Irish-trained So You Think is a multiple Group 1 winner in Australia and Europe, and was over-the-top after a long campaign when he ran sixth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Expect him to rebound big time in his first race since then. Use So You Think with the live long shots in exotics.
ed.fountaine@nypost.com