DUBAI, March 28 - Magnitude, ridden by Jose Ortiz, narrowly defeated Forever Young to win the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse.
The $12 million race, held despite regional conflicts and drone attacks on Dubai's airport, saw Magnitude lead by a length and a half at the finish.
Japanese-trained Forever Young, ridden by Ryusei Sakai, nearly closed the gap in the final 300 meters but could not catch the American-bred thoroughbred.
"Forever Young was the best horse in the world," Ortiz said, fighting back tears. "But we had a horse good enough to win, and he showed up."
It was the second Dubai World Cup title for trainer Steven Asmussen, who previously won in 2008 with Curlin.
The race, held amid global tensions and adverse weather, featured over 100 horses from around the world competing across nine races.