The 2020 Dubai World Cup card, scheduled for March 28, was canceled on Sunday by Dubai government officials. A release from the government of Dubai media office announced what was translated into English as a postponement until next year, meaning there will be no 2020 World Cup. The United Emirates Racing season begins in the autumn and all but wraps up before the hottest months with the World Cup in late March. Iran sits just north of Dubai across the Strait of Hormuz and has close commercial ties to the United Arab Emirates. Iran became an early hotspot in the coronavirus pandemic, although the Emirates News Agency as of March 21 reported only 153 official cases of the virus in the UAE. Horses intended for the World Cup program, highlighted by the $12 million Dubai World Cup, still were training at Meydan Racecourse, site of the World Cup, as of Sunday morning before the cancellation was announced. Despite concerns over the viability of the event during the pandemic, the Dubai Racing Club had lined up large, competitive fields for the races even in the face of several defections, including Aidan O’Brien’s intended team from Ireland. Horses shipped from all over the world to Dubai this past week, including 10 Americans that arrived Wednesday after departing Florida the morning before. They joined several other American horses, including Mucho Gusto and Tacitus, who had shipped to Dubai from Saudi Arabia after racing in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup and its undercard events. A large group of Japanese horses flew to Dubai on Wednesday, and a handful of European horses were shipped as late as Friday, March 20. Issues could arise in returning horses and humans to their home countries as global travel diminishes. Emirates Airlines, the UAE-based mega-carrier, announced Sunday that it would be suspending all passenger flights as of March 25 because of the pandemic. Trainer Luis Carvajal, who’s in Dubai with the sprinter Imperial Hint, said in a text message Sunday that Dubai racing officials said everyone who had traveled internationally with horses would be booked on a flight out of Dubai within 48 hours. Carvajal said he and his employee were leaving to return to the U.S. on Monday morning, but that as of Sunday, American horses still were scheduled to be flown home on April 4. Carvajal said Dubai racing authorities were working with U.S. customs agents to coordinate equine shipments back to America. The Dubai Racing Club presumably would supply people to care for the horses until they depart if their American caretakers are forced to fly home earlier. Bob Baffert, who was going to run Mucho Gusto in the World Cup, said in a text message Sunday that his grooms would stay to care for the horses. Baffert said he was getting new information every few minutes, and trainers Mark Casse and Peter Miller, both of whom have horses in Dubai, said the situation obviously was fluid. “We’re trying to get it all figured out,” Miller said. “I would’ve been nice to know before all the people and horses got there, but this is all just uncharted territory.” Trainer John Terranova and his wife, Tonja, postponed a flight from New York to Dubai from Saturday to Wednesday – a good decision, in the end. Still, Terranova, like many with horses set to race Saturday, expressed disappointment that Killybegs Captain, his intended starter in the $2.5 million Golden Shaheen, wouldn’t have a chance to race. “Finally got a horse to go to Dubai and he had a real shot in the race,” Terranova said. “Too bad. He was doing so well.” John Velazquez was scheduled to ride Killybegs Captain in the Golden Shaheen. Velazquez was the only U.S.-based jockey scheduled to ride that card. He had mounts on Tacitus in the World Cup, United in the Sheema Classic and Shotski in the UAE Derby. Adam Wachtel is part-owner of four U.S.-based horses – Shotski (UAE Derby), Gray Magician (Godolphin Mile), Ghoul (Al Quoz) and Golden Scotty (Golden Shaheen) – who were supposed to compete on the World Cup card. Wachtel said Jeremiah O’Dwyer, Shotski’s trainer, arrived in Dubai on Sunday only to learn of the cancellation. He was scheduled to fly back to the U.S. on a 2 a.m. Monday (Dubai time) flight. As of Sunday morning, Wachtel said he was unsure of when and where the horses would be permitted to ship but was confident that Dubai officials will “be doing the right thing for us,” he said. “These are people very dedicated to the sport. I know they’ve taken great care of the people there already.” Trainer Richard Mandella sent United and Tizamagician from California for World Cup card races. He told Daily Racing Form on Sunday that a meeting was scheduled with Dubai racing officials Monday to clarify departure plans for his horses and staff. - additional reporting by David Grening and Steve Andersen