Your home for Friday and Saturday’s Saudi Cup racing action – featuring Breeders’ Cup winners Forever Young and Nysos – will be 1/ST BET and Xpressbet. Our racing analyst Michelle Yu is part of the international telecast crew and has been in Riyadh this week checking out the contenders. We’ll get her picks for the big event later in the week.
Friday’s 8-race card features the International Jockeys’ Challenge with Flavien Prat and Joel Rosario among those competing. Wager on the Friday full card beginning at 8:00AM ET.
Saturday’s $20 million Saudi Cup anchors a 9-race card with 7 group / graded stakes. The action kicks off at 7:00AM ET. Horseplayers at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet can take advantage of a Bet $100, Get $10 promotion on Saturday’s action at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. There’s also up to a $10 Money-Back Special on wagers on the Saudi Derby (if your win bet finishes second or third) as part of our Triple Crown prep promotion.
Saudi Cup Saturday Lineup
Race 1 (7:00AM ET) - Jockey Club Local Handicap
Race 2 (7:40AM ET) – G1 Obalya Arabian Classic
Race 3 (8:20AM ET) - Tuwaiq Cup
Race 4 (9:00AM ET) – G3 Saudi Derby
Race 5 (9:40AM ET) – G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint
Race 6 (10:25AM ET) – G2 1351 Turf Sprint
Race 7 (11:10AM ET) – G1 Neom Turf Cup
Race 8 (11:50AM ET) – G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap
Race 9 (12:40PM ET) – G1 Saudi Cup
Forever Young is defending champion in the Saudi Cup after a stirring score a year ago vs. Hong Kong legend Romantic Warrior. There will be a strong American contingent in opposition of his title defense, led by the Bob Baffert duo of Nysos and G1 Goodwood winner Nevada Beach. Brad Cox has G2 Cigar Mile winner Bishops Bay in the gate along with David Jacobson’s Banishing, Kenny McPeek’s Rattle N Roll and the former US miler Tumbarumba.
American interest in the undercard includes Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line in the $1.5 million Saudi Derby, where Nashua / Jerome winner My World goes for Brad Cox, Saratoga & Oaklawn stakes winner Obliteration represents Steve Asmussen and San Vicente third Acknowledgemeplz bids for Doug O’Neill. Domestic intrigue also focuses on Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Imagination and Bing Crosby winner Lovesick Blues in the $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint. Eddie D and Janus Stakes winner Reef Runner is among the Americans in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint.
Here is the Saudi Cup Saturday wager menu:
Race 1 - Win, Place, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta
Race 2 - Win, Place, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta
Race 3 - Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta
Race 4 - Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pick 3, Pick 6
Race 5 - Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Double
Race 6 - Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta
Race 7 - Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pick 3
Race 8 - Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Double
Race 9 - Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta
$20 Million Saudi Cup Field | 1-1/8 miles | Saturday
1-Banishing | David Jacobson | Adel Alfouraidi
2-Bishops Bay | Brad Cox | Junior Alvarado
3-Forever Young | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai
4-Haqeet | Saad Ajenade | Mickael Barzalona
5-Luxor Cafe | Noriyuki Hori | Joao Moreira
6-Mhally | Abdullah Alsidrandi | Ricardo Ferreira
7-Nevada Beach | Bob Baffert | Irad Ortiz Jr.
8-Nysos | Bob Baffert | Flavien Prat
9-Rattle N Roll | Kenny McPeek | Joel Rosario
10-Star of Wonder | Saad Aljenade | Camilio Ospina
11-Sunrise Zipangu | Kyoko Maekawa | Oisin Murphy
12-Thundersquall | Muteb Almulawah | Daniel Tudhope
13-Tumbarumba | Hamad Al Jehani | James Doyle
14-Ameerat Alzamaan | Sami Alharabi | Ryan Moore
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