10/08/2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Paddys Day Takes the $100,000 President of the UAE Cup (G1) at Historic Pimlico Racecourse on Preakness Day
Aurora, CO – The $100,000 UAE President Cup (G1) – America’s richest Arabian race of the year – rounded out a spectacular day of stakes racing on Pimlico’s Preakness Day card in Baltimore, Maryland. And once again, Paddys Day made for an unforgettable race, cementing the status of this traveling star once more.
The seasoned 9-year-old bay stallion, now boasting lifetime earnings of $660,005 (and well over $1 million if one includes his bonuses earned from the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Triple Jewel series’), hugged the rail through the stretch, never far back, and was up late dueling in the stretch with rising star, Uptown Cruisedirector. The two battled gamely in the last furlong, but it was the veteran Paddys Day that, in a display of heart and gutsiness that he’s well known for, determinedly pulled away to win by ½ length with a final time of 1:54.66 going 1 1/16 miles. Uptown Sandy Girl finished third, seven lengths behind Uptown Cruisedirector, followed by Madjikman for fourth, in a large and highly competitive field of twelve horses vying for victory in what is arguably the most significant race of the year for USA Arabian racing.
The win marks Paddys Day’s second consecutive of 2020 in only three starts, his second time winning this race (he also won in 2016 at Churchill Downs), and his 27th lifetime win out of a total of 48 starts in an impressive six-year career that spans thirteen different tracks on multiple continents.
“For the only horse in America that earned the honor of ‘legend in his own time,’ he proved once again that he is the legend,” said his owner/breeder, Jane Teutsch, who owns the horse once again with her husband, Ray.
Paddys Day was guided to victory by Alex Cintron and trained by Nicole Ruggeri.
This was the second time a race for purebred Arabian horses was staged at the world-famous Pimlico Racecourse on Preakness Day, though this year was markedly quieter than in 2012 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Only 300 owners were allowed on the esteemed racetrack for the day.
“We are so thankful to have been a part of such a historic day,” said Susan Meyer, president of the Arabian Jockey Club. “The horses put on a spectacular race with such an exciting finish. We can’t thank the UAE President Cup Committee, the Maryland Jockey Club, the Pimlico team, and all of the Arabian owners, trainers, and jockeys enough for providing an amazing experience for all. We look forward to the possibility of being a part of Preakness next year, and for years to come.”
Presented by the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the UAE President Cup Series is the longest-running Arabian race series in the world. It began in 1994 and was the first series to visit France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Morocco, Egypt, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, UAE, Russia, and the United States. This race at Pimlico marks the 15th time it has been run in America, with plans to return in 2021.
“The UAE President Cup this past weekend at Pimlico Racecourse on Preakness Day illustrated the best of Thoroughbred and Arabian racing in America,” said Mr. Faisal Al Rahmani, Chairman of the UAE President Cup Committee. “Through our growing relationship between the UAE President Cup, the Arabian Jockey Club, the Maryland Jockey Club, and Pimlico Racecourse, Arabian racing has a bright future.”
To view the race as well as live coverage from the entire day, visit Arabian Jockey Club.
For more information, visit www.ArabianRacing.org.
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The Arabian Jockey Club is a nationally chartered non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion & education of the Arabian racing industry in the United States and serves as the U.S. representative to the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing. For more information, visit www.ArabianRacing.org
📷 Jim McCue
