Full field of 14 set for Dubai World Cup

At Monday's final declaration stage, a full field of 14 was set for

Saturday's $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1). Post positions for this

inaugural running on the Tapeta surface at the new Meydan Racecourse

will be revealed on Wednesday.

While the leading contenders stood

their ground in the about 1 1/4-mile test, including dual Eclipse Award

winner GIO PONTI (Tale of the Cat), there was one notable change in the

field for the meeting's signature race. Multiple Grade 1 star Take the

Points (Even the Score) decided to stay on the turf and entered the $5

million Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) instead.

A trio of American-based contenders will try to give the United

States its fourth straight World Cup title, following Invasor (Arg)

(2007), Curlin (2008) and Well Armed (2009).

Gio Ponti, the reigning champion older male and champion turf male,

spearheads the American team. Runner-up to Zenyatta (Street Cry [Ire])

in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride two back,

the Christophe Clement charge is coming off a photo-finish upset at the

hands of Karelian (Bertrando) in the grassy Tampa Bay S. Regular rider

Ramon Dominguez has the call.

Champion S. (Eng-G1) winner TWICE OVER (GB) (Observatory), third to

Zenyatta and Gio Ponti in the Breeders' Cup Classic, leads the

three-pronged British invasion. Trained by Henry Cecil, the Juddmonte

Farms homebred has reportedly thrived over the winter and has never been

better. Tom Queally will renew his long-standing association with Twice

Over here.

Team Valor International's GITANO HERNANDO (GB) (Hernando [Fr])

brings a perfect four-for-four mark on synthetic surfaces. Winner of the

Goodwood S. (G1) last fall, beating Richard's Kid into third, the Marco

Botti pupil comes off a near track record-equaling romp in the Winter

Derby Trial at Lingfield. Gitano Hernando has won his past three with

Kieren Fallon, and keeps the crafty Irishman in the saddle for the World

Cup.

Group 1 veteran CROWDED HOUSE (Rainbow Quest) will also fly the Union

Jack, and the late runner gets a key rider switch to John Velazquez. The

Brian Meehan charge has turned in two strong runner-up efforts at the

Dubai International Racing Carnival, rallying in the Al Rashidiya

(UAE-G3) on turf and just falling a half-length short in the Maktoum

Challenge Round 2 (UAE-G3) on the Tapeta.

The Pascal Bary-trained GLORIA DE CAMPEAO (Brz) (Impression) is a veteran of

the Dubai International Racing Carnival. A distant second to Well Armed in last

year's World Cup, he went on to land the Singapore Airlines International Cup

(Sin-G1) at Kranji prior to finishing a subpar seventh to Gio Ponti in the

Arlington Million (G1) last summer. Gloria de Campeao came back to capture the

Maktoum Challenge Round 1 (UAE-G3) here in January, and he was just denied in

the last stride in the Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (UAE-G2) at this track and

trip. Regular pilot T.J. Pereira will ration out the speed of the likely

pacesetter.

Japanese Grade 1 queen RED DESIRE (Manhattan Cafe) uncorked a blistering late

run from the clouds to nip Gloria de Campeao in the Maktoum Challenge Round 3.

In so doing, she booked her ticket to the World Cup, instead of her initially

likely aim, the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1). The Mikio Matsunaga filly is a

seasoned veteran of several stretch battles back home on turf, as exemplified by

her hard-fought, photo-finish success in the Shuka Sho (Jpn-G1) last October.

Red Desire proved that she was capable of holding her own at the international

level when finishing third in the Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) in her 2009 finale. Top

reinsman Christophe Soumillon picks up the mount.