Santa Anita flavor pervades Dubai World Cup
At 0h03, on March 23, 2022 • By SANTA ANITA
There will be a strong sense of Santa Anita when the $12 million Dubai World Cup is run Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.
The two favorites for the 26th edition of the Group 1 classic at about 1 1/8 miles, Hot Rod Charlie and Life Is Good, both have an intrinsic connection to The Great Race Place.
Santa Anita is Hot Rod Charlie’s home track, while Life Is Good displayed his world-class potential at the historic Arcadia oval as a three-year-old when trained by Bob Baffert, winning the Grade III Sham Stakes and the Grade II San Felipe Stakes.
The eyes of the racing will be focused on the Dubai World Cup, which offers the winner $7.2 million. The entire World Cup program airs Saturday on HPIBet and all Quebec betting parlors starting at 8:00 a.m.
“We’re optimistic,” said Doug O’Neill, trainer of Hot Rod Charlie, a four-year-old son of Oxbow who already has earned $2,721,200 with a 4-3-3 record from 14 career starts.
O’Neill is well aware Hot Rod will have something to pursue in Life Is Good, now trained by Todd Pletcher and winner of six of seven races including a dominant front-running score over Horse of the Year Knicks Go in the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Invitational presented by 1/ST BET at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29.
“Flavien (Prat, who rides Hot Rod Charlie) knows the horse well, so we’re optimistic for a good run,” O’Neill said from Santa Anita Sunday morning prior to leaving for Dubai on Tuesday.
“Our staff has been showing Hot Rod a lot of love every day they’ve been with him in Dubai,” O’Neill added. “He’s ready to go.
“It’s going to be a great race.”
