Thunder Snow led throughout Saturday's $10 million Dubai World Cup to beat four American runners in the world's second-richest race. 

West Coast, the champion 3-year-old male of 2017, could only finish second, beaten about four lengths by Thunder Snow.

Mubtaahij, who was second in the 2016 Dubai World Cup, finsihed third, followed by two other American-based runners - Pavel and Forever Unbridled - in the field of 10.

Thunder Snow gave Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing a fourth Group 1 win of the nine-race program. Earlier, Godolphin won three turf races - the $1 million Al Quoz with Jungle Cat, $6 million Dubai Turf with Benbatl and $6 million Sheema Classic with Hawkbill.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Thunder Snow has won 7 of 18 starts and earned $8,381,476. The win in the Dubai World Cup was worth $6 million. 

Thunder Snow started in all three legs of the Maktoum Challenge series leading to the World Cup, finishing second in the first division on Jan. 11, winning the second division on Feb. 8 and second again to North America in the third round on March 10. 

North America was part of the Dubai World Cup field on Saturday, but broke poorly and did not take his expected position at the front.

Thunder Snow, who was ridden by Christophe Soumillon, took the lead, and was closely tracked by West Coast. Trained by Bob Baffert, West Coast was well-placed to challenge Thunder Snow in early stretch, but could not close the gap. West Coast was second in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27, the world's richest race.

Pavel was also in good position in the final half-mile of Saturday's race, but did not quicken when needed. Forever Unbridled, the champion older female of 2017, raced wide throughout. The Dubai World Cup was her first start since a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar last November.

Immediately after Saturday's race, Thunder Snow was rated by some European bookmakers as a 20-1 chance for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3. Thunder Snow had a bad day at Churchill Downs last May.

After winning the UAE Derby on the undercard of the 2017 Dubai World Cup, Thunder Snow was part of the field for the Kentucky Derby. A few strides out of the gate, he began to buck and was pulled up. Later in 2017, Thunder Snow won the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat for 3-year-olds on turf in France.