Racing In Dubai Halted As Nearby Strike Triggers Alert

[Wandering Eyes]

Iranian attacks continued on Friday in Dubai, with nearby activity forcing officials at Meydan Racecourse to put a temporary hold on racing during the final meeting of the Dubai Racing Carnival.

The day's opening event, a Group 3 contest on the turf for the Purebred Arabians, went off as scheduled at 5:30 p.m. local time and the horses were on their way through the tunnel that connects the pre-parade ring/saddling enclosure for the second race, which was scheduled to jump at 6:05 p.m. local time. As horses continued to filter into the parade ring, those in the lowest levels of seating could be seen moving to inside areas of the facility.

To follow was an announcement from track commentator Pat Comerford that read: “Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen. There is an alert that has come through from the Ministry of Defense that due to a current situation and potential missile threats, immediately seek a safe place here in the closest secured building. Steer away from windows, doors and open areas and please wait for further instructions. Please make your way in an orderly fashion inside the grandstand until we wait for further information.”

Comerford returned to the mic approximately 22 minutes later, indicating that the all-clear signal had been given for racing to resume. The runners for the second race made their way back from the pre-parade ring and the rest of the program was completed in its entirety, albeit about 30 minutes behind schedule.

American-based trainer Librado Barocio has been in Dubai for several days to oversee the preparations of Lovesick Blues (Grazen), an intended starter in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on Mar. 28. Barocio has been staying at the hotel adjacent to the racetrack and reported that he has seen and heard drones overhead.

“Today there was a big bang and a big cloud of black smoke,” he said via text. “The explosions were approximately two to three miles away.” He hastened to add that at no point has he felt unsafe since his arrival.

Earlier Friday morning, the Dubai Media Office confirmed that 'debris from a successful interception caused a minor incident on the facade of a building in Central Dubai' and that no injuries were reported. Video posted on social media showed black smoke emanating from near the Dubai International Financial Centre located about two miles north of the iconic Burj Khalifa. In the last several days, a drone also struck just outside a terminal at Dubai International Airport, closing the airspace for a time.

Despite the turmoil and uncertainty of the situation, American-based connections are moving ahead with plans to participate in various races on Dubai World Cup night.

Owner and breeder Alex Lieblong was a guest on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast, where he spoke about his intent to travel over to see his homebred Reef Runner (The Big Beast) in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. Reached by text earlier in the week, trainer Jose D'Angelo indicated that GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Bentornato (Valiant Minister), who is expected to take on Lovesick Blues in the Golden Shaheen, would be on the Mar. 14 flight that is to transport the American entrants to the Middle East. David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, reported on Friday that Magnitude (Not This Time) had arrived in Miami and had entered quarantine ahead of the Saturday flight and that stable staff should be on hand to greet the 4-year-old upon his arrival.

While the Dubai World Cup meeting goes ahead at this stage, other countries in the region have canceled upcoming sporting events. Horse racing has been postponed in nearby Qatar and Bahrain, each country having been attacked since the onset of the war 13 days ago, and on Friday it was announced that Formula 1 Grand Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for April are set to be called off this weekend owing to the conflict.

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