By Jonathan Horowitz
Diamond Gem AA will return to the scene of the greatest victory in the career of the two-time Arabian racehorse of the year in the United States, but a lot has changed since the American leg of the global UAE President Cup Series was last held at the Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore in 2023.
Since the Arabian breed last raced in Maryland two years ago, the purse of the Grade 1 UAE President Cup over 1 1/16 miles on dirt has increased from $100,000 to $200,000, making it the richest Arabian horse race in American history.
Maryland is a fitting state for the Arabian breed to make more history. The first Arabian horse race ever held at a parimutuel racecourse in the United States took place at Laurel on November 11, 1959. That race, run over 2 1/2 miles, was won by Ofir. Ofir was a chestnut wearing the #9 saddle towel, same as the chestnut Diamond Gem AA did when he won the UAE President Cup at the Preakness in 2023.
Now 6 years old, the pride of breeders and owners Joe and Betty Gillis of Allegro Arabians and trainer Jerenesto Torrez will again break from the #9 post position. Carol Cedeno will be aboard. Post time is scheduled for 7:43 p.m. Eastern after the Preakness at 7:01 p.m. and before the concert featuring T-Pain and Wyclef Jean at 8 p.m. that will bring the curtain down on the racecourse that opened in 1870, ahead of its major renovation that is part of a new era for Maryland horse racing.
When Diamond Gem AA defeated 2019 UAE President Cup winner RB Texas Hold Em at Pimlico in 2023, he was ridden by Angel Cruz. Cruz now has the mount on RB Motherload, who is coming off consecutive runner-ups in stakes races at Sam Houston in Texas in 2025. RB Grand Slam, who, like “Motherload,” is bred and owned by Dianne Waldron and family’s RoseBrook Farm makes it a formidable trio for trainer Torrez in the field of nine.
RB Grand Slam and Diamond Gem AA had quite the rivalry as 3-year-olds in 2022 when Diamond Gem AA would be named champion 3-year-old colt/gelding and horse of the year. “Grand Slam” missed all of 2023 while “Diamond” established himself as one of Arabian racing’s all-time greats in America following his success in that year’s UAE President Cup.
Following a 21-month layoff, Grand Slam returned in September 2024 with a third-place finish over a muddy track at Lone Star Park in Texas in a 6 1/2-fulrong allowance race behind UAE President Cup rivals AA Take a Chance and WMA Smoke Signal. The 6-year-old grey stallion has since gone on to two victories in a row, most recently defeating RB Motherload and Diamond Gem AA in the $60,000 Texas Six Shooter at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Sam Houston on March 8.
Out of the dam Rich Kinkga, RB Grand Slam is a half-brother to RB Malexis, the winner of the UAE President Cup in 2024, when the race brought Arabian horse racing back to Florida for the first time in more than two decades at Gulfstream Park. He will be ridden by the jockey that was aboard “Malexis,” Anardis Rodriguez.
Malexis became the first filly or mare to win the UAE President Cup in the United States, and trying to emulate that a year later will be WMA Big Baby and TM Purncess. They were most recently one-two in the $60,000 Texas Yellow Rose for fillies and mares over 1 mile on turf at Sam Houston on March 29. WMA Big Baby, a former Graded stakes winner, was bred and is owned by Rita Deleon’s Welcome Arabians Horse Farm and is being trained for this race by Rhonda Tuley. Tuley claimed TM Purncess for $10,000 in October 2024.
Another former claimer in the Grade 1 that has been competitive in stakes races is AA Take a Chance, a half-brother to RB Motherload out of the dam Ma’ma’ah that was acquired by new Arabian owner Annette Lindstrom for $7,500 in August 2024. The two brothers will break next to each other on the inside.
Diamond Gem AA’s full-brother Quick Rae AA is in the race for owners Andre and trainer Nicole Ruggeri. Quick Rae AA will be making his UAE President Cup debut, while Ken Danyluk’s Like Moulin Rouge will be racing at Pimlico for the third time.
The UAE President Cup Series represents the vision of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the vice president and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and an Arabian horse enthusiast and advocate.
Launched in 1994, the global series first partnered with the Arabian Jockey Club for a race in the United States in 2010 at Keeneland. The series has subsequently showcased the versatility, heartiness, and beauty of the Arabian breed at Pimlico, Santa Anita, Churchill Downs, and Gulfstream Park.
There has been a UAE President Cup on the same card as the Preakness in 2012 (won by T M Fred Texas), 2020 (Paddys Day), 2021 (Paddys Day), 2022 (Hiab Al Zaman), and 2023 (Diamond Gem AA).
In 2024 at Gulfstream, the race produced an all-time classic for the breed with the filly RB Malexis winning a three-way photo finish against Diamond Gem AA and 25-1 longshot WMA Smoke Signal.
The 2025 edition will be simulcast by Pimlico, with the race also to be broadcast live around the world by Abu Dhabi Media and with behind-the-scenes coverage all week by the Arabian Jockey Club’s AJC TV and the Arabian Horse Association.