Mufasa, Legalaized, Don Pelícano and Namaguederaz Entered at Meydan

Looking ahead to the Jan. 2 card, the Chilean was entered in the Dubawi Stakes (G3), while the Argentine and the two Uruguayans are slated to line up in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial

Argentine Legalaized Could Make His Debut on Friday at Meydan / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Special to Turf Diario).—The 2026 season will kick off in style at Meydan, which is set to stage a blockbuster card this Friday, packed with stakes action and featuring several South American runners of note.

In the Dubawi Stakes (G3, 1200m, dirt), Chilean raider Mufasa (Practical Joke) is set to take his place, while the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (1400m, dirt) could see the local debut of Argentine colt Legalaized (Dabster), alongside Uruguayans Don Pelícano (Midshipman) and Namaguederaz (Algorithms), the latter pair trained by Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga.

After resuming with a fourth-place finish in the Al Garhoud Sprint (Listed), Mufasa is seeking redemption and could face as many as five rivals, including Dark Saffron, Apollo One, Colour Up, Drew’s Gold, and El Nasseeb.

In the Guineas prep, Legalaized may make his first local appearance following two wins from as many starts in Argentina, debuting on the dirt at Palermo before capturing the Manuel Anasagasti Stakes (Listed) by a wide margin over heavy turf at San Isidro.

Don Pelícano, meanwhile, comes off a respectable fifth in his local bow, while Namaguederaz will also be making his UAE debut, having signed off at Maroñas with a strong third behind standout Obstable in the Criadores Nacionales Stakes (Listed).

The feature event of the afternoon will be the Zabeel Mile (G2, 1600m, turf), which has attracted a deep and competitive field including Andreas Vesalius, Aomori City, Asad Zabeel, Audience, Chicago Critic, Dolayli, Holloway Boy, Keffaaf, Quddwah, Vafortino, and Wester Winter.

Another highlight is the Zabeel Turf (2000m, turf), a conditions race for horses rated between 85 and 105, where Godolphin will be strongly represented by Arabian Light, King’s Charter, Bedouin Prince, and Alpine Trail.

The Jumeirah Stakes (1400m, turf), a conditions contest for 3-year-olds, has drawn 20 possibles, among them Do Or Do Not, Sword Maker, and Catullus.

Final fields and programs for Friday’s Meydan card are expected to be confirmed in the coming hours.