Hit Show won the Dubai World Cup, further solidifying the legend of his sire, Candy Ride

The gray surprised at Meydan, capturing the victory that had eluded the Argentine superstar with Gun Runner in 2017. Forever Young ran poorly and finished third, on an afternoon where no favorites emerged victorious

Hit Show Nabs Mixto at the Wire in Dubai World Cup / DRC

By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario in Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— The legend of Candy Ride continues to grow. One of the greatest racehorses ever bred in Argentina and, without question, the country's most influential sire on the global stage, earned another chapter in his remarkable story Saturday at Meydan, under the unrelenting heat of the Gulf and the fervent atmosphere of the world's most spectacular day of racing.

What Gun Runner couldn't quite manage in 2017, his fellow Lane’s End stallion achieved in 2025. Hit Show, a grey son of Candy Ride representing Wathnan Racing and trained by Brad Cox, stormed down the stretch in a dramatic, chaotic renewal of the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, claiming victory in the 29th running of the marquee event and denying Japanese star Forever Young the chance to complete the historic Saudi Cup–Dubai World Cup double.

Expertly handled by Florent Geroux, Hit Show launched a furious late rally from well off the pace, weaving through traffic and surging past Mixto (Good Magic), who appeared headed for glory under Frankie Dettori, and a weary Forever Young, who could do no better than third after a far less comfortable trip than in Riyadh.

Geroux, who also rode Gun Runner to a runner-up finish here eight years ago, kept Hit Show tucked away early as Walk of Stars (Dubawi) and Mixto carved out the fractions. The pivotal moment came when Geroux found a seam between Katonah (Klimt) and a fading Imperial Emperor (Dubawi), before diving inside Wilson Tesoro (Kitasan Black) and setting his sights on the leaders.

“I didn’t think I could win until the last 100 meters,” admitted a smiling Geroux. “I was watching Forever Young as my marker, but he never looked comfortable. Once I got the gap and started passing horses, my mount just came alive. He always runs for me. Honestly, I was aiming for a placing—but he gave me much more.”

With the victory, Hit Show earned a ‘Win and You’re In’ berth to the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1, and Cox has already indicated that will be the colt’s main target going forward.

“I still can’t believe it. It’s incredible,” said Cox from the U.S. “I would’ve loved to be in Dubai, but with everything going on with the 3-year-olds and the Derby trail, I couldn’t make it. Luckily, I’ve got a fantastic team behind me that allows us to compete everywhere.”

“We always knew distance was his game. He ran well in the Derby, stayed the mile and a half in the Belmont, but things finally fell into place these last two starts. He’s a classy horse, he travels well, and now he’s a Dubai World Cup winner. What more can you ask for?”

As for runner-up Mixto, Dettori took the near-miss in stride: “Second pays well too!” he joked. “He ran huge. He was a bit of a sleeper coming in, but I knew he had a big one in him. He loves the trip and the wide draw helped. It was a perfect trip, no excuses. Just a shame we got caught right at the wire.”

And what of Ryusei Sakai, rider of the beaten favorite? “We came here to win, and I’m disappointed,” he said. “He was brilliant in Saudi, and if he repeated that, I thought he’d win again. But it was a tough race—he was the one to beat, and that made it all harder. He never traveled well today. You can’t win every time, but we gave it our best.”

In the end, the 2025 Dubai World Cup belonged to Hit Show, and with it, another resounding international triumph for Argentina’s own Candy Ride, whose legacy, somehow, just keeps getting greater.