Hit Show after his Dubai World Cup triumph (Dubai Racing Club)
Dubai World Cup Winner Joined by Danon Decile, Soul Rush, Dark Saffron in Securing Automatic Starting Positions into Oct. 31-Nov. 1 World Championships at Del Mar
DUBAI – The 29th running of the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1), a newly established $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) automatic qualifier through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In, appropriately capped a day of upsets in the emirates April 5 at Meydan Racecourse when the Wathnan Racing’s Hit Show closed from mid-pack to run down fellow American invader Mixto in the final strides under Florent Geroux for trainer Brad Cox.
Horses from around the globe will qualify through the Win and You’re In program, now in its 19th year, for the 42nd running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Consisting of 14 Grade 1 races run during a two-day festival worth more than $34 million in purses and awards, the 2025 Breeders’ Cup will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.
Breaking well from post 7 of 11 runners, Hit Show was quickly shifted into the two-path in the first furlong by Geroux before comfortably running in eighth about eight lengths off the pace around the first turn while Walk Of Stars (GB) and Mixto did battle on the front end. The latter, ridden with confidence by four-time Dubai World Cup winner Frankie Dettori, ran as a team with said rival as heavily favored Saudi Cup (G1) winner Forever Young (JPN) vied for third with both Imperial Emperor (IRE) and Il Miracolo behind them.
Meanwhile, the eventual winner was easing his way into contention to about 5 lengths off the pace, logically following the favorite until Geroux asked him to make his move. The strapping son of Candy Ride (ARG) quickly obliged, passing six horses in the final 300 meters, while never going wider than the three-path, and then collaring Mixto five strides before the wire and passing the post three-quarters of a length in front in a time of 2:03.50 for the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). Forever Young held on to finish third, two lengths behind Mixto, while Walk Of Stars rounded out the top four, another 4 1/2 lengths back. Il Miracolo, Ushba Tesoro (JPN), Wilson Tesoro (JPN), Rattle N Roll, Ramjet (JPN), Katonah and Imperial Emperor rounded out the order of finish.
The win was the 5-year-old’s ninth from 18 starts, fifth graded/group stakes win in eight months, and first at the top level. Out of the Grade 2-winning mare Actress, he improved his career bankroll to $8,402,341 with the $6,960,000 winner’s share of the purse.
Geroux, Cox and Wathnan—the operation of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani—all won their first Dubai World Cup races, with Geroux’s being that much more significant after a dramatic loss in 2017 to Arrogate on subsequent Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year Gun Runner. Cox, unable to make the trip, was represented by longtime assistant Dustin Dugas, while American racing manager Case Clay was on hand for Wathnan.
“I always ride him like this, and he always gives me a good feel,” Geroux said of Hit Show. “He was always traveling very good for me and I was following Forever Young, but I could tell by the end of the backside that he wasn’t traveling well. I realized I was in the wrong spot and then there was some bumping around the turn and I couldn’t really go out because I would lose too much ground, so I was looking for a spot inside and when I found it, I squeezed on my horse and he responded right away and from there, I had a lovely trip and started picking off horses. Then, when he saw (Mixto), he went right after him and wanted to get him in the end.
“Frankie has won enough, doesn’t he have four or five, so I don’t feel sorry for him,” Geroux quipped. “As a jockey, these are the races you want to win. I’ve been very fortunate to win some of the biggest races in North America and came very close to winning the Saudi Cup with Saudi Crown, but today, winning the Dubai World Cup is always a race I dreamed of winning and beating Frankie, who is my idol, is the cherry on top.
“After the Gun Runner World Cup, I was really heartbroken and Arrogate ran one of the best Dubai World Cups ever, coming from the back to beat us, running down an amazing horse like Gun Runner. I feel like this is a little bit of redemption, especially winning for Brad Cox and Wathnan, who have been very loyal to me.”
Cox was naturally over the moon, while across the Atlantic.
“I don’t know if I’ve digested it yet—it’s unbelievable,” Cox said via phone. “Obviously, I would have loved to have been there, but with so much going on with these 3-year-olds trying to get to the Derby and he was obviously in good hands with the two people I sent over, Dustin Dugas, who has been with me for a long time, and E. J. Bowler, so he was in very good hands. I’m really proud of our team. It gives us an opportunity to spread ourselves out and travel more when we need to and the horse was doing so well. He ran a good race in California, third in the Santa Anita Handicap, and I thought it set him up really well to take a shot in Dubai. The distance was perfect for him and we always know that distance is his game. He turned into a win machine last fall and got his confidence really high. He’s a classy horse and shipping doesn’t bother him. He shipped everywhere and it doesn’t faze him—he takes his show on the road. Florent and I have worked together so well for so long—probably 10-plus years—and this horse really responds to him and they have a long history together. He’s a world-class rider.”
“Being a ‘Win and You’re In,’ it does take a little pressure off and I can’t wait to get him back home to Churchill and let him recover and chill out,” Cox continued. “We’ll circle the Breeders’ Cup and probably have two preps between now and then.”
Hit Show joins Costa Nova (JPN), winner of the February Stakes (G1) in Japan, and Saudi Cup winner Forever Young, as the first three automatic qualifiers into this year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Additional Breeders’ Cup Berths Secured During World Cup Festival
Earlier in the card, three other Breeders’ Cup automatic qualifiers took place, kicking things off with the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) division in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen over 1,200 meters (about six furlongs), which was billed as a highly anticipated clash of local star Tuz with Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Straight No Chaser. In the end, neither would crack the exacta when Sultan Ali’s 3-year-old locally based speedster Dark Saffron pulled off a shocker, going gate-to-wire from the outermost post 11 under Connor Beasley for trainer Ahmad bin Harmash. The son of Flameaway stopped the clock in 1:11.40, besting Nakatomi by a neck, with another length back to Tuz in third. Straight No Chaser checked in a disappointing eighth. Dark Saffron became the first sophomore to take the Shaheen.
“This is what it’s all about, to get a winner like this on a night like this,” Beasley said. “This guy has plenty of speed and it was a blessing being drawn out there, because we had no option but to go. He’s one of them who just keeps improving. He ran against some good competition on the turf, but he has plenty of speed to burn and runs so well on the dirt. He’s very, very fast.”
The $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) division saw Japan strike in the $5 million Dubai Turf (G1), with Tatsue Iskikawa’s 7-year-old Soul Rush (JPN) nosing out big favorite Romantic Warrior (IRE) in the final stride. Trained by Yasutoshi Ikee, the 7-year-old won his second Group 1, having also taken November’s Mile Championship. Cristian Demuro, a nose second in last year’s Dubai Turf on Namur (JPN), was elated to get a bit of redemption of his own.
“My horse was in perfect condition and had a very good trip,” Demuro said. “Perhaps Romantic Warrior was a little bit tired today, but my horse traveled really well into the race and finished very well. I was thinking I won this race last year until the finish was announced, but I was beaten in the photo, so this feels very satisfying.”
The Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar could be possible for Soul Rush, among other international targets, per Ikee: “Everything is now an option. We will look at the Jacques le Marois and, as far as the Breeders’ Cup, we can’t decide now, but we will consult.”
The $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) division saw a bit of Breeders’ Cup connection when Danon Decile (JPN), out of 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Top Decile, rallied determinedly under Keita Tosaki to pass dual Turf champion Rebel’s Romance (IRE) and Durezza (JPN) en route to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) over about 1 1/2 miles. Trained by Shogo Yasuda and owned by Danox Co. Ltd., the Epiphaneia (JPN) colt added to a trophy case that already includes the 2024 Japanese Derby (G1). Market favorite Calandagan (IRE) rallied for second, with Durezza and Rebel’s Romance following suit in the field of nine.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winners of the Dubai quartet to start in their respective divisions at the World Championships. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 20, 2025, to receive the rewards.
Included in the benefits of the arrangement between Breeders’ Cup Limited and the Dubai Racing Club, the winner of the 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic will receive an automatic starting position and free entry into the 2026 Dubai World Cup; the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner will be given a complimentary starting berth with entry fees paid into next year’s Dubai Golden Shaheen; the 2025 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf winner will take home an automatic starting spot with fees paid for the 2026 Dubai Sheema Classic; and this year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile winner will be given an automatic starting position and free entry into next year’s Dubai Turf.
