Dubai, UAE (Sports Network) - The top two finishers in last year's Breeders'
Cup Classic are the co-favorites for Saturday's $6 million Dubai World Cup.
Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia d'Oro will meet for the first time since
last October's race.
Entered in the ninth running of the richest horse race on the planet are 12
of the world's leading thoroughbreds. The Dubai World Cup is over a distance
of 1 1/4 miles at the Nad al Sheba racecourse.
Breeders' Cup Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect will start from post seven
with Alex Solis once again in the saddle. The six-year old is owned by Diamond
A Racing and is trained by Richard Mandella. In his first race of the year,
Pleasantly Perfect scored a solid win in the San Antonio Handicap in late
January.
In his career, Pleasantly Perfect has won seven of 14 starts for nearly $3.1
million. He has won his last three races all at Santa Anita Park.
Medaglia d'Oro is the winner of more than $4.5 million in his career. The
five-year-old will start from post position 11 in the Dubai World Cup. He is
owned by Edmund Gann and trained by Bobby Frankel. Hall of Fame jockey Jerry
Bailey has the mount.
Medaglia d'Oro has finished second in the last two runnings of the Breeders'
Cup Classic. He has not been worse than second in his last 10 starts and has
won six of them. Medaglia d'Oro began this year with a dominating victory in
the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
The complete post position order for the World Cup is: Domestic Dispute,
King's Boy, Admire Don, Dinyeper, Regent Bluff, Silent Deal, Pleasantly Perfect,
Grand Hombre, Victory Moon, Fleetstreet Dancer, Medaglia d'Oro and State Shinto.
While there is no wagering in the United Arab Emirates, in Great Britain
Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia d'Oro are 9-4 co-favorites.
