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Diamond Gem AA achieved a remarkable milestone by being crowned champion of the American leg of the UAE President’s Cup Series for Purebred Arabian Horses in its 33rd edition.
The race was held on Thursday, at the historic Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky, as part of the Kentucky Derby week, one of the most prestigious and renowned horse racing events in the world.
The prestigious cup series is supported by His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
This support comes within the framework of the UAE’s commitment and leading role in preserving the heritage of the Arabian horse, supporting efforts to develop its authentic racing, and continuing to sponsor owners and breeders worldwide.
The American leg witnessed striking success through its presence within the Kentucky Derby activities, amid an exceptional crowd exceeding 60,000 spectators and broad American and international media coverage.
This confirms the prestigious status the series has reached on the international stage and its ability to elevate Purebred Arabian horse racing to the ranks of major global events.
Diamond Gem AA, sired by Burning Sand out of Triumphs Pearl, owned by Betty and Joseph Gillis, trained by Jeresto Torrez, and ridden by world-class jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., performed excellently and displayed an outstanding performance that asserted his presence throughout the race, before clinching the title at the finish line with a time of 2:18:11.
The champion led the field until approaching the final turn, when the mare RB Badonkadonk surprised him with a surge. However, he intelligently regained the initiative and sprinted powerfully to secure the title for himself, retaining the crown for the second consecutive year.
The mare RB Badonkadonk finished in second place; she is sired by RB Burn out of Rich Kinkga, owned by Dat Al-Remal, trained by Jeresto Torrez, and ridden by jockey Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez.
Highh Country came in third, sired by Majd Al Arab out of TM Madame, owned by Nicole Ruggeri and Andre Ruggeri, trained by Nicole Ruggeri, and ridden by jockey Joel Rosario, in a race characterized by strength and parity among the elite Purebred Arabian stables in America.
This crowning is an exceptional achievement, as Diamond Gem AA secured his third title in the American leg and his second in a row, bolstering his impressive record in the prestigious cup races and confirming his status as one of the most prominent international stars of Purebred Arabian horses.
The race was held over a distance of 2,000 meters within the Group 1 category, with the participation of nine Purebred Arabian horses and prizes totaling $400,000. This represents the highest prize money in the history of Arabian horse racing on American soil, reflecting the rising global value of the US leg within the agenda of the 33rd edition of the prestigious cup.
The race was attended by Alia Al Suwaidi, Deputy Chief of Mission at the UAE Embassy in Washington, and Saeed Al Mehairi, representative of the Organizing Committee for the UAE President’s Cup Series for Purebred Arabian Horses, who crowned the winners alongside an elite group of owners and breeders.
For his part, Matar Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Arabian Horse Racing, stressed that the success achieved by the American leg in the 33rd edition reflects the growing global status of the cup.
He noted it confirms the series’ ability to consolidate the presence of Purebred Arabian horses in the most prestigious international tracks and festivals.
He explained that these exceptional successes and the global public interaction with the journey of the cup in the world’s most important horse festival are the result of the generous support of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose pioneering role has brought about a historical shift in the path of excellence and progress for Arabian horses.
He added that holding this leg at the Kentucky Derby and on the historic Churchill Downs track adds double global value to the prestigious cup. It underscores the pivotal role of this leg in enhancing the international spread of Arabian racing through a prestigious platform that brings together elite horses, owners, and breeders before a massive audience.
