Capezzano came into Saturday’s program at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai with the look of a Group 2-level dirt miler. He came out of it looking like a contender for the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 30 after winning the Group 1, $600,000 Maktoum Challenge Round 3 by 9 ½ lengths.

Favored Thunder Snow, racing for the first time since a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and a track-record-setting winner of the 2018 World Cup, tracked pace-setting Capezzano, made a run at him off the far turn and into the long homestretch, but was turned rudely away by the winner, who drew steadily clear for a somewhat shocking blowout victory.

“He got tired, just like we said before the race,” said Thunder Snow’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor. “He will improve from the race and be ready for Dubai World Cup night.”

Capezzano’s trainer, Salem bin Ghadayer, earlier this month returned from a one-year suspension levied after one of his horses got a positive drug test during the 2017 – 2018 Dubai racing season. But the key move with Capezzano several weeks before bin Ghadayer’s return, when Capezzano was fitted with a hood for the first time. He responded with a pair of 1600-meter dirt handicap wins at Meydan, the most recent of which came by 14 lengths, and was a 5-1 shot in the featured race on Meydan’s Super Saturday card.

Capezzano broke from post 9 under Mickael Barzalona and with a short run to the first of two turns was sent fairly hard to make the front, which he did, setting a solid tempo while Thunder Snow tracked him. Capezzano never had come close to finishing off any of his races beyond one mile but he never came close to wavering Saturday, stopping the timer in 2:05.02 for the 2000 meters on a fast dirt track.

“I wasn’t very confident about the longer trip, but Salem told me to try it,” said Barzalona. “I made a strong effort to lead.”

Thunder Snow just hung on to second by a neck as the Korean horse Dolkong came from a long way back for third. New Trails was fourth and Gronkowski a respectable fifth in his Dubai debut.

Capezzano, owned by Sultan Ali, is a 5-year-old by Bernardini out of Cableknit, by Unbridled’s Song. This is his third racing season in Dubai – and maybe this year he’ll hit a $12 million jackpot.