Dubai World Cup Postponed amid Coronavirus Pandemic; Race Has $12M Purse

There will be no Dubai World Cup in 2020.

According to ESPN.com, the Dubai Media Office, which is a governmental agency, announced the $12 million horse race will be postponed until 2021. The original plan was to run the race on March 28 without spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic, but plans have changed.

The ESPN report noted the race, which Thunder Snow won the past two years, was the richest horse race in the world until the Saudi Cup featured a $20 million purse this year.

This is the latest development as the sports world and horse racing react to the pandemic. 

The Kentucky Derby notably pushed the sport's most famous race from May 2 until Sept. 5, but there have been a number of tracks holding races without spectators. Twin Spires noted there are still 15 tracks holding races without spectators as of Sunday, including Santa Anita, Golden Gate Fields and Los Alamitos.

However, Joe Drape of the New York Times reported Thursday that the New York Racing Association suspended events at the Aqueduct Racetrack because one of the workers who cared for the horses tested positive. 

As of Sunday, the World Health Organization confirmed there have been more than 292,000 cases of the coronavirus leading to more than 12,000 deaths across the globe.