Guide to the 2024 UAE President Cup:
The American Leg at Gulfstream Park

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• Meet the field of nine for what will be a "Battle of the Sexes" that includes defending champion and two-time American Horse of the Year Diamond Gem AA taking on three mares that are graded stakes winners in Dream Seq, RB Malexis, and WMA Big Baby.
• The "Road to the UAE President Cup" went through the Texas Arabian Stallion Stakes at Lone Star Park on Nov. 15. Four of the top-five in the Open Division and three of the top-four Filly and Mare Division are in the UAE President Cup.
• The UAE President Cup brings Arabian horse racing back to Florida for the first time in more than two decades. It will be the first Arabian race at Gulfstream Park. Some of the sport’s all-time greats used to run in the Sunshine State at Tampa Bay Downs. Victorias Secret was the American Horse of the Year in 1992. The grey mare then went to the UAE to star under the name of Kahayla. She is now immortalized as the namesake for Dubai’s premier Arabian horse race, the Dubai Kahayla Classic run on Dubai World Cup.
• AJC TV profiled Fleets Ace AA, Diamond Gem AA, and Jagman AA when they were based in Dubai with trainer Ernst Oertel at Desert Stables.
  
• The UAE President Cup Series has put the spotlight on the Arabian breed on some of the world's biggest racing stages since 1994. The series in 2024 will culminate with the Group 1, AED 8,000,000 ($2,180,000) UAE President Cup at the Abu Dhabi Turf Club over 2,200 meters (1 3/8 miles) on turf on Dec.15. That race was most recently won by RB Kingmaker when it took place in February. RB Kingmaker was bred in Florida by RoseBrook Farm, who will be represented at Gulfstream by RB Malexis and RB Motherload. Here's AJC TV's coverage.

Notable

• Defending champion Diamond Gem AA will wear the same #9 saddle towel and break from the outside of the field as when he won the 2023 UAE President Cup that was held at the Preakness.
• Jockey Carol Cedeno, who will be aboard Diamond Gem AA in 2024, previously won the UAE President Cup in 2022 with Hiab Al Zaman. She has also finished second with Easter Man in 2017 and RB Rich Lyke Me in 2021.
  
• The last Arabian that jockey Reylu Gutierrez rode in a race was Hiab Al Zaman in the horse's debut at Sam Houston in Texas on April 2, 2021. "Hiab" would go on to be the American Horse of the Year in 2021 and win the UAE President Cup in 2022.
• There are three fillies and mares in the field of nine—Dream Seq, RB Malexis, and WMA Big Baby—and all three are graded stakes winners. No female horse has previously won the UAE President Cup, although Sand Witchh in 2010, Dixies Valentine in 2011, and Mizzdora in 2019 were second, and Ms Dixie in 2013, RB Madymoiselle in 2016, Uptown Sandy Girl in 2020, and Uptown Lady Arabella in 2022 were third.
• Diamond Gem AA and Jagman AA are full-brothers sired by all-time leading American Arabian stallion Burning Sand and out of the dam Triumphs Pearl. AA Take a Chance and RB Motherload are half-brothers out of the dam Ma'ma'ah, with "Chance" by Baseq Al Khalediah and "Motherload" by RB Burn.
• This will be the first Arabian race for jockey Luca Panici, who has ridden in close to 10,000 Thoroughbred races in the United States. He will be aboard WMA Smoke Signal. Other jockeys with their first Arabian mount in America are Chris Elliott aboard Fleets Ace AA and Jonathan Ocasio aboard Jagman AA. 
• Jockey Carlos Montalvo aboard AA Take a Chance rode Honey Proof in the $2 million Obaiyah Arabian Classic at the Saudi Cup in 2024.
• AA Take a Chance was claimed for $7,500 in August and has won two of four races since for first-time Arabian racehorse owner Annette Lindstrom.
  

On behalf of the Arabian racing community in the USA, the Arabian Jockey Club thanks the UAE President Cup Series and Gulfstream Park for their support of the breed.