2011 DUBAI WORLD CUP RESULT: Victoire Pisa scores a win for Japan

Victoire Pisa (JPN), a four-year-old colt trained and raced in Japan, won the $10 million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race.  Transcend (JPN) finished second while Monterosso (GB) rounded out the top three. (Video replay via DRF.com)

America's best hope, Gio Ponti, swung wide off the far turn and looked to be in position to make a run to the lead, but he flattened out in deep stretch and was denied the prize for the second year in a row.  Favorite Twice Over (GB) also looked ready to make a big move to the front in the later stages, but 

It was a remarkable ride by the winning jockey, Mirco Dumuro, as Victoire Pisa broke slowly and was last of fourteen entering the first turn on the Meydan main track.  Apparently sensing the incredibly slow pace on the front-end (the track announcer called the half-mile in :53+), Dumuro made a bold move on the backstretch to move his mount to within a length of Transcend.  With that single move, a pace that would have been a huge hindrance to his chances to win became a great advantage.  As the field rouned the far turn, Victoire Pisa began to slowly wear-down the long time leader while the rest of the field tried to find enough of a kick for a late winning move.  By that time, it was too late; Victoire Pisa had enough left in the tank to move to the lead and hold off all comers in the final furlongs.

The win in the Dubai World Cup was Victoire Pisa's third straight victory following scores in the Group 2 Nakayama Kinen and the Group 1 Arima Kinen.  

Although a win in a horse race does little to erase the the tragedy that has occurred in Japan the past couple of weeks, it was still a highly emotional victory for everyone involved in Japanese racing.  

Video replay below.

Full order of finish: