Nearly five months after closing his 4-year-old season with a victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), Bentornato will attempt to open his 5-year-old season with a victory in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 28 at Meydan Racecourse.
While winning two of the world's toughest dirt sprints nearly five months apart without a race in between them might seem daunting, the connections of Bentornato know the Florida-bred Valiant Minister ridgling previously has raced well when fresh. Bentornato delivered a 2 1/4-length victory in the 6-furlong Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 1 at Del Mar off a single previous start in the 2025 season: a runaway victory in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes Sept. 13 at Churchill Downs. Before that 5 1/4-length score, Bentornato hadn't raced since a runner-up finish in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Sprint.
On Saturday (10:55 a.m. ET expected post) Bentornato is scheduled to start from post 2 under Jose Ortiz in the 1,200-meter (about 6-furlong) Dubai Golden Shaheen, which drew 12 starters with the withdrawal of Drew's Gold.
"He was lightly raced last year, so I think with him keeping his same condition he'll be all right," said trainer Jose D'Angelo, who ranks fifth in wins at the current Gulfstream Park meeting through March 24.
READ: Forever Young Seeks Redemption in Dubai World Cup
While he's making just the 12th start of his career at age 5, Bentornato previously has traveled well. He finished third in the 2024 Saudi Derby (G3) in which eventual champions Book'em Danno and Forever Young battled to the wire with the latter prevailing.
Bred by Tanma Corp., Bentornato is out of the winning Put It Back mare Her Special Way. While the Dubai Golden Shaheen has gone to a United States-trained runner five times since 2015, owners Leon King Stable and Michael and Julia Iavarone hope he can end a bit of a drought in that regard as Sibelius in 2023 is the most recent.
The field also includes U.S.-based grade 1 winners Nakatomi, from the barn of Wesley Ward with Florent Geroux up, and Lovesick Blues, who will be ridden by Mickael Barzalona for trainer Librado Barocio; as well as 2024 Golden Shaheen winner Tuz, a gelded son of Oxbow who is trained by Bhupat Seemar, and 2025 winner Dark Saffron for trainer Ahmad bin Harmash. Both Kentucky-breds, Tuz was bred by Calumet Farm and Dark Saffron, by Flameaway , was bred by Brookdale Farm.
The Golden Shaheen is one of four Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In events on the Dubai World Cup card, and the winner will earn an automatic, fees-paid spot in the starting gate for the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland.
Commissioner King Enters Godolphin Mile Off Group 3 Win
The day's first Thoroughbred race, the one-turn Godolphin Mile (G2) (8:20 a.m. ET) for 3-year-olds and older, will see Seemar send out Commissioner King off a 4-length romp in the Burj Nahar (G3) Feb. 28 at Meydan at the same distance.
The Kentucky-bred 6-year-old son of Commissioner also won the 2023 Saudi Derby.
Grade 2 winner Banishing, based in the U.S. with trainer David Jacobson, enters off unplaced efforts in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) in January and the Saudi Cup (G1) in February. Entered horses now trained overseas who competed for U.S. trainers last year include 2024 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) winner World Record and Hypnus, who finished second in last year's St. Louis Derby.
| 10:55 a.m. ET Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored By Nakheel (G1)(3yo+) | ||||
| Number | Draw | Horse Name | Trainer Name | Jockey Name |
| 1 | 2 | Bentornato | Jose Francisco D'Angelo | Jose L Ortiz |
| 2 | 8 | Tuz | Bhupat Seemar | Tadhg O'Shea |
| 3 | NR | Drew's Gold | Bhupat Seemar | William Buick |
| 4 | 1 | El Nasseeb | Musabbeh Al Mheiri | Silvestre De Sousa |
| 5 | 5 | Lovesick Blues | Librado Barocio | Mickael Barzalona |
| 6 | 7 | Midland Money | Michael Costa | Ray Dawson |
| 7 | 11 | Dark Saffron | Ahmad bin Harmash | Connor Beasley |
| 8 | 4 | Nakatomi | Wesley A Ward | Florent Geroux |
| 9 | 9 | American Stage | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai |
| 10 | 6 | Mufasa | Bhupat Seemar | Ryan Moore |
| 11 | 3 | Colour Up | Doug Watson | Pat Dobbs |
| 12 | 12 | Cats By Five | Doug Watson | Daniel Tudhope |
| 13 | 10 | Khanjar | Musabbeh Al Mheiri | Richard Mullen |
| 8:20 a.m. ET Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Emaar (G2) (3yo+) | |||||
| Number | Draw | Horse Name | Trainer Name | Jockey Name | |
| 1 | 1 | Commissioner King | Bhupat Seemar | Tadhg O'Shea | |
| 2 | 4 | Banishing | David Jacobson | Silvestre De Sousa | |
| 3 | 2 | Mendelssohn Bay | Bhupat Seemar | Richard Mullen | |
| 4 | 9 | Generous Tipper | Hamad Al Jehani | Faleh Bughanaim | |
| 5 | 3 | World Record | Bhupat Seemar | Jose L Ortiz | |
| 6 | 7 | The Camden Colt | Bhupat Seemar | Ryan Moore | |
| 7 | 5 | David of Athens | Hamad Al Jehani | James Doyle | |
| 8 | 6 | Zandvoort | Bhupat Seemar | Cristian Demuro | |
| 9 | 11 | Diamond Dealer | Bhupat Seemar | Mickael Barzalona | |
| 10 | 8 | Hypnus | Hamad Al Jehani | Florent Geroux | |
| 11 | 10 | Telemark | Simon & Ed Crisford | William Buick | |
| 12 | 12 | Masmak | Salem bin Ghadayer | Bernardo Pinheiro | |
