DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Among the 27 Japan-based horses that have descended upon Dubai to race here Saturday on the World Cup card at Meydan Racecourse, none has looked any better than the 4-year-old colt Equinox. The sleek, near-black bay with white snaking down his forehead galloped with verve on dirt before breezing like Pegasus on turf Wednesday morning. It took Equinox, the 2022 Horse of the Year in Japan, not much more than 11 seconds to complete the final 200 meters of that workout, and at a general 6-5 to win the $6 million Sheema Classic, Equinox on Thursday was the shortest-priced favorite with British bookmakers on the Dubai World Cup card. Equinox should win the Sheema over 1 1/2 miles on grass, and Japan also figures to take down the $5 million Dubai Turf over 1 1/8 miles. Do Deuce, who won the 2022 Japanese Derby over Equinox, is the Dubai Turf favorite while cutting back from a series of 11- and 12-furlong races, while Serifos, stretching out from a string of one-mile contests, is the race’s second choice. Danon Beluga, still another Japan-based Dubai Turf runner, was an overpriced 14-1 on Thursday, and so strong are these entrants that Vin de Garde, the Japanese horse who was second in the 2021 Dubai Turf and third, beaten a nose, in the 2022 renewal was offered by British bookmakers at about 40-1. Equinox, by Kitasan Black, makes his first start at age 4 and first outside Japan. In the Japanese 2000 Guineas over 1 1/4 miles in April, he was second among 18 runners behind Dubai World Cup starter Geoglyph, who tagged Equinox in deep stretch. In the 1 1/2-mile Japanese Derby, Equinox had to be taken back to 16th after breaking from the outside post in an 18-runner field, and he fell just short of catching Do Deuce, who got first run. Away from the races between May and October, Equinox ran down a loose-on-the-lead Panthalassa, subsequent winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup, to win the 1 1/4-mile Tenno Sho Autumn, and in his most recent start, on Dec. 25, he dominated the Group 1 Arima Kinen over 1 9/16 miles. “He’s a clever horse. I think that he can adapt himself to any conditions,” said Christophe Lemaire, who’s ridden Equinox in all six of his races. “He’s an improving horse race after race. During the spring he was still just a little bit soft. He gets stronger and stronger, and in the autumn he was more mature and tougher.” The expansive, flat, left-handed oval at Meydan should suit Equinox, as should the good-to-firm ground. The colt’s trainer, Tetsuya Kimura, said this week that Equinox could be aimed for a start in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita rather than trying for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Nine others are entered in the Sheema, including the horse who won the 2022 BC Turf, Rebel’s Romance. A 5-year-old Godolphin homebred trained by Charlie Appleby, Rebel’s Romance has won all five of his starts, two Group 1s in Germany before the BC Turf, since being moved to grass last year. The massive gelding has struggled with soundness at times and was scratched from a recent intended prep race. “Ideally, he would have had a race leading into the big night, but he did a racecourse gallop 10 days ago, and we were delighted with that,” said Appleby, referring to what Americans would call a timed workout. Shahryar, another Japan-based horse, won this race a year ago by a neck over another Godolphin runner, Yibir. Second last out in the Japan Cup, he returns with a solid chance if not the reputation of Equinox. Russian Emperor is the best 1 1/2-mile horse in Hong Kong, and while that probably isn’t good enough, up-and-coming Mostahdaf merits some respect. Five-year-old Mostahdaf had been more a Group 2 and Group 3 horse up to the Neom Turf Cup last month in Saudi Arabia, where he beat a decent runner-up, Dubai Future, by seven lengths. “He’s come back here and breezed nicely, and he goes back down there in good form,” trainer John Gosden said last week from England. “As long as he relaxes, he’ll be fine over this longer distance.” Before the Sheema, Gosden sends Lord North out for a try at his third Dubai Turf victory. Lord North won the race by three lengths in 2021 and dead-heated for first last year with Panthalassa. Gosden prepped the 7-year-old with an easy win Feb. 25 at Lingfield Park in the Winter Derby. “He won that race well and has been very happy since. He goes with a huge chance,” Gosden said. Do Deuce, the mount of Yutaka Take, floundered over soft going last fall in France, the latest Japanese horse that went to Europe and failed to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Do Deuce goes far better on firmer footing and was a Group 1 winner over one mile as a 2-year-old. His acceleration winning a Feb. 12 prep at 1 3/8 miles looked sharp enough to suggest Do Deuce can successfully cut back to nine furlongs Saturday. Serifos stands a decent chance of successfully stretching out from one-mile races. A one-run closer, Serifos passed 13 rivals in the last three-sixteenths of a mile easily winning the Group 1 Mile Championship on Nov. 22, his most recent start. That race was run right-handed, but Serifos is a two-time winner over left-handed courses. Danon Beluga has been knocking on the door facing top competition in longer Japanese races and could benefit cutting back from 10- and 12-furlong contests to this one-turn 1 1/8-mile race. He was sawed off and badly hampered late in the Japan Cup, where he checked in fifth. Shirl’s Speight, who has done his best work at Keeneland, has shipped from Florida into a very difficult spot, while Nations Pride could lead from an outside draw, Appleby suggested. Winner of the Dubai Millennium last month at Meydan, Nations Pride ended his 3-year-old campaign finishing fifth as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Real World has reached as high a level as anyone in the Dubai Turf but pulled too hard, found trouble, and in the end ran poorly returning from a long break March 4 in the Jebel Hatta. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor forecasts considerable improvement; Real World will need it to factor in this wickedly tough affair. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? 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