The trainer of Breeders' Cup Classic winner Zenyatta will send out another one of his star females to challenge the boys in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.
Trainer John Shirreffs told The Associated Press on Monday that Life is Sweet will be shipped to Dubai to compete in the world's richest race on March 27.
The 5-year-old mare won the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic the day before stablemate Zenyatta improved to 14-0 with a win over the boys in the $5 million BC Classic on Nov. 7.
The 1 3/4-mile Dubai World Cup will be held at the new Meydan Racecourse. It is the showcase race of an eight-race card with total purse money of more than $26 million.
``She's just a really nice mare,'' Shirreffs said in a telephone interview. ``She's training extremely well. Whoever is in the field, I think she compares well with any of them.''
Others expected for the World Cup include Gio Ponti, the champion older male and turf horse who finished second to Zenyatta in the BC Classic, and Japan's two-time Horse of the Year Vodka, a 6-year-old mare.
The World Cup will be run over a synthetic Tapeta surface. Life is Sweet has run many of her races on synthetic surfaces in California and Kentucky, but has never run over Tapeta. She has run 1 1/4 miles only once, finishing third in the 2009 Hollywood Gold Cup in her only start against males.
``I don't think distance will be an issue, and I think the surface will be in her favor, too,'' Shirreffs said.
Life is Sweet ran second to St Trinians in the Santa Maria Handicap on Feb. 13 in her last start. The horse is owned by Marty and Pam Wygod.
The story first appeared on bloodhorse.com.
