he Asiatic Boy colt, who has had an inconsistent season, will start from the difficult stall 1 in the G3 Burj Nahar. Meanwhile, the Chilean-bred First Constitution will be a key contender in the Al Maktoum Classic (G2), aiming to build on his recent performances.
On Meydan's Super Saturday, only two South American horses will participate, in what has been a season that failed to deliver the expected results but still holds some hopes for horses born in this part of the world to feature in the Dubai World Cup meeting.
Amid injuries—such as Auto Bahn (Asiatic Boy), for example—and underwhelming performances—which are far too many to mention—the Meydan International Carnival in Dubai, UAE has been marked by disappointment after disappointment, with only a few wins to lean on.
In what will be one of the two most important meetings of the season, the spectacular racetrack in the Middle East will see Oasis Boy (Asiatic Boy) from Argentina and First Constitution (Constitution) from Chile line up in the prestigious races to come. Their participation is a far cry from the lofty expectations just a few months ago.
Oasis Boy, trained by Doug Watson and owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, will chase a remarkable win in the G3 Burj Nahar, a one-mile dirt race where he will face 15 tough competitors.
With Oscar Chavez confirmed as his rider, the chestnut colt has been unlucky with the draw and now must start from the challenging stall 1, which will force him to take up the race from the outset.
The horse who won the G2 Clásico Miguel Cané at Palermo in 2023 and struggled to find form here last year, made a promising comeback by winning a conditional race over 1,400 meters, but then faltered in a handicap, reportedly bleeding. In his most recent outing, starting from the widest stall, he had to give up considerable ground but finished a credible fifth, just over 4 1/4 lengths behind Khanjar (Kodiac) in the Dubai Creek Harbour.
His performance was positive under the circumstances, and he is expected to be in the mix, although the challenge is immense. He will face the likes of Cagliostro (Upstart), third behind King Gold (Anodin) and Laurel River (Into Mischief) in the Firebreak Stakes (G3); Ancient Rome (War Front), a solid performer in Europe and the United States, who switches from turf to dirt after a disappointing run behind Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in the G1 Jebel Hatta; and the Japanese contender T O Saint Denis (Kitasan Black), who was last seen finishing poorly behind the Argentine-bred Full Serrano (Full Mast) in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) last November at Del Mar.
On the other hand, First Constitution has been sold and is now under the training of Okbah Aashour. He will be one of the 16 runners in the Al Maktoum Classic (G2, 2,000m, dirt), where the aforementioned King Gold will return to action after his win over Laurel River.
The story is no easier here, as Kabirkhan (California Chrome), who has been well below the level that saw him win the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge in 2024, is among the confirmed runners.
Another important name is Imperial Emperor (Dubawi), who, after two consecutive wins, finished second to Walk of Stars (Dubawi) in the Al Maktoum Challenge at the end of January.
Tough roads lie ahead for Oasis Boy and First Constitution in Meydan’s Super Saturday, as they dream of reaching the first Saturday of April and being part of the grand celebration.
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