Rising American star Life Is Good headlines a likely field of 11 for the 26th running of the G1 Dubai World Cup (sponsored by Emirates Airline) on March 26 at Meydan Racecourse.

Winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup in his last two starts, the Todd Pletcher-trained Life Is Good faces stiff opposition from three of his American-based compatriots in the 2000m contest on dirt. They are Grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie, who has been training in Dubai since January for Doug O’Neill and who captured the G2 Maktoum Challenge Round 2 in his most recent start; Bob Baffert’s Grade 1 winner Country Grammer, and the Steve Asmussen-trained Midnight Bourbon, second and third, respectively, in the G1 Saudi Cup on February 26.

Also in the international lineup is G1 Premio Latinoamericano winner and twice Uruguayan champion Aero Trem, who takes his chance for trainer Antonio Cintra, while the second- and third-place finishers in the 2021 Dubai World Cup return for another try at the gold trophy: Chuwa Wizard from Japan and Magny Cours, trained in France by Andre Fabre for Godolphin. Saeed bin Suroor, the all-time leading trainer with nine Dubai World Cup winners, will enhance Godolphin’s chances this year with multiple European group stakes winner Real World, who captured the G2 Zabeel Mile on the Meydan turf in January.

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