In the highly anticipated Group 1 $12 million Dubai World Cup, Laurel River delivered a dominant performance and emerged victorious by an impressive 8 1/2 lengths. The 6-year-old son of Into Mischief was trained by Bob Baffert before being transferred to trainer Bhupat Seemar. Prior to the race, Laurel River had won four out of seven starts with Baffert before taking a break from racing and returning under Seemar’s guidance.
In January at Meydan, Laurel River finished seventh in the Al Shindagha Sprint (Gr. 3), but redeemed himself with a memorable victory in the Burj Nahaar on March 2. With jockey Tadhg O’Shea aboard, Laurel River broke from the outside post and quickly took command of the race as they approached the first turn. By the far turn, he had extended his lead to as many as 10 lengths in the final stretch of the 1 1/4-mile race.
Ushba Tesoro claimed second place in the race, while Señor Buscador, who had won the Saudi Cup (G1) earlier this year, finished third. After training a Dubai World Cup winner for over two decades, Seemar expressed his joy and gratitude for having played a role in this remarkable achievement. The victory was particularly special as it came at home for Juddmonte homebred, paying $20.70 to win with a winning time of 2:21.31.
Laurel River’s success marks yet another milestone in his illustrious career and is a testament to both his talent and his team’s hard work and dedication towards him.
