Diamond Gem AA sparkles in UAE President’s Cup at Pimlico

Diamond Gem AA clinched the title in the US leg of the 32nd edition of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, held on Saturday at the historic Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland.

The race took place as part of the 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes, one of the most iconic events in American thoroughbred racing.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the UAE President’s Cup Series reinforces the UAE’s commitment to the global development of Arabian horse racing and the continued support of breeders and owners around the world.

The initiative aims to preserve the rich heritage of the Arabian horse and elevate its presence on the international stage.

This year’s US race saw a strong global turnout with a crowd of over 100,000 spectators and wide-reaching American media coverage, further cementing the President’s Cup’s legacy and reputation as one of the leading platforms for Arabian horse racing.

The event featured 14 races as part of the prestigious Preakness Stakes day, a pillar of the American Triple Crown series.

Diamond Gem AA emerged victorious in the US leg of the President’s Cup Series for Purebred Arabian Horses, delivering a powerful stretch run to clinch first place in commanding fashion.

Bred from Burning Sand and Tramaasah (by Sevilla Tryst), Diamond Gem AA is owned by Joseph and Betty Gillis, trained by Jerenesto Torrez, and was ridden to victory by jockey Carol Cedeno. The colt displayed tactical patience early on before confidently surging ahead in the final stretch to outpace a competitive field.

Finishing second was RB Grand Slam, another trainee of Jerenesto Torrez, owned by Rosebrook Farm LLC. Bred from Majd Al Arab and Rich Kinkga (by TH Richie), the horse was piloted by Inardis Rodriguez, who kept close pressure throughout the race but couldn’t match the winner’s late pace.

AA Take A Chance claimed third place honors, completing the podium for the day. Trained by Rhonda Tuley and owned by Annette M. Lindstrom, the horse is by Baseq Al Khalediah out of Maamoureh (by Amer), and was ridden by Xavier Perez.

The 1700m dirt race, classified as a Grade 1 event for horses aged four years and above, offered a total purse of $200,000. Diamond Gem AA completed the race in a time of 1:57.01, reclaiming the title he had previously won in 2023.

The award ceremony was attended by Omar Al Yahyai, member of the diplomatic corps, and Rawdha Al Mansoori from the UAE Embassy in Washington, along with Saeed Al Muhairi, representative of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup Series, who presented trophies to the winning connections.

Meanwhile, pre-race favourite Journalism stormed to victory in the 150th Preakness Stakes, producing a devastating finish to claim the second leg of US horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Journalism, ridden by Italian jockey Umberto Rispoli, looked set for more disappointment following his second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby after being boxed in coming down the stretch at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

But after clashing with the Bob Baffert-trained 6-1 shot Goal Oriented, Journalism burst through a gap and reeled in 20-1 outsider Gosger to claim a sensational win.

Gosger and 4-1 shot Sandman finished second and third respectively.

There was a brief delay as stewards reviewed footage of Journalism’s skirmish with Goal Oriented before the Michael McCarthy-trained horse was confirmed as the victor.

The 36-year-old Rispoli, the two-time Italian Champion Jockey, said the victory owed everything to Journalism’s never say die approach.

“I still can’t realize what this horse did today,” an emotional Rispoli said moments after crossing the line.

“I got in trouble at the corner pole. But it’s all about him -- it’s a pleasure and a privilege to ride a horse like him.

“It’s just unbelievable. I won one of the legs of the Triple Crown and I’m crying like a kid.”