The 2015 Dubai Racing Carnival, which culminates with the rich and prestigious Dubai World Cup program on March 28th, is set to begin on January 8th. This year's Carnival promises to be particularly intriguing thanks to the presence of a new dirt track, which replaces the synthetic Tapeta surface that has been in use since Meydan opened in 2010.
In examining the entries for the opening day card, I happened to notice that in the second race -- a 9.5-furlong handicap race on the dirt -- the former American runner Le Bernardin among the entries. The six-year-old horse won the Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) at Monmouth Park in June 2012, defeating Easter Gift and Good Morning Diva, but was badly beaten in the West Virginia Derby (gr. II) in August to conclude his U.S. career. Since then, he has run three times at Meydan, finishing last in a one-mile handicap race in February 2013, then returning to win a one-mile handicap race on November 20th, 2014 and most recently finish a decent fourth in the Dubai Creek Mile on December 18th. He's listed at 6-1 on the U.S. morning line, and might be in with a chance at a respectable price.
The feature race on the Meydan card is the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 (UAE-II), in which 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. I) winner Outstrip is among the fifteen runners. Other prominent entrants include Surfer, winner of the Dubai Creek Mile; Haatheq, runner-up in the 2013 Godolphin Mile (UAE-II); and Emirates Flyer, who finished third behind Toast of New York in the 2014 UAE Derby (UAE-II).
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