Fourteen international runners entered the world’s richest horserace, the $20 million Saudi Cup, at today’s post position draw in Riyadh. Headliners include 2024 Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic-placed Forever Young from Japan and the Hong Kong-based superstar Romantic Warrior. The Saudi Cup is part of a 9-race card at King Abdulaziz Racecourse that gets underway at 7 am ET. Horseplayers at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet can watch and wager on all the action.
Romantic Warrior, who will break from stall 9, has earned a Thoroughbred racing world-record total exceeding $23 million US – all on turf – and is a Group 1 winner in Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and Dubai. The 7-year-old looks to cement his historical status by tackling dirt for the first time. Turf stars Mishriff (2021) and Panthalassa (2023) have previously won the Saudi Cup to set the turf-to-dirt precedent.
Forever Young won the Saudi Derby over this track a year ago (pictured) prior to winning the UAE Derby in Dubai and nearly annexing the Kentucky Derby when coming up just 2 noses short despite a bumpy run through the stretch. The Yoshito Yahagi trainee bounced back from his Breeders’ Cup Classic third at Del Mar with a Dec. 29 win in the Group 1 Tokyo Daishoten at Oi Racecourse in his most recent start. He will break from the far outside 14 stall, but this 1-1/8 miles race is around 1 turn and has a long run before the only bend.
America’s only direct representative is Rattle N Roll (post position 7), the 6-year-old Kenny McPeek trainee who followed up November’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap win at Churchill Downs with a Group 3 local prep victory in Riyadh on January 25. America won the ’24 Saudi Cup on the heels of Senor Buscador.
US fans will also recognize former Bob Baffert trainee Defunded (post position 11), the 2023 Hollywood Gold Cup winner and Pegasus World Cup runner-up who finished seventh in last year’s Saudi Cup after being sold to local interests. The 8-year-old Ushba Tesoro is no stranger to American followers after competing in the past two Breeders’ Cup Classics from his home base in Japan. He’s best known for winning the 2023 Dubai World Cup. Ushba Tesoro leaves from the rail Saturday.
The Saudi Cup Day undercard includes:
-- The Riyadh Sprint, featuring Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Straight No Chaser, Santa Anita-based for Dan Blacker;
-- The Saudi Derby, which includes Aqueduct’s Jerome Stakes winner Cyclone State for trainer Chad Summers;
-- The 1351 Turf Sprint, where South Florida-based Howard Wolowitz represents trainer Jose D’Angelo.
$20 Million Saudi Cup | King Abdulaziz Racecourse | 1-1/8 miles on dirt
1-Al Musmak (PP 10) | Muhammad Aldaham
2-Defunded (PP 11) | Antonio Fresu
3-El Kodigo (PP 13) | Gustavo Calvente
4-Faceur Cheval (PP 12) | Mickael Barzalona
5-Forever Young (PP 14) | Ryusei Sakai
6-Intense For Me (PP 2) | Camilio Ospina
7-Ramjet (PP 9) | Kosei Miura
8-Rattle N Roll (PP 7) | Joel Rosario
9-Romantic Warrior (PP 3) | James McDonald
10-Ushba Tesoro (PP 1) | Akira Sugawara
11-Wait to Excel (PP 8) | Adel Alfouraidi
12-Walk of Stars (PP 6) | Tadhg O’Shea
13-Wilson Tesoro (PP 4) | Yuga Kawada
14-Wooton’sun (PP 5) | Ricardo Ferreira
15-Scotland Yard (alternate) | Luis Morales
Saudi Cup Day Racing Schedule
Race 1 | 7:00 am ET | $1.5M Jockey Club Local Handicap
Race 2 | 7:40 am ET | $2M Arabian Classic
Race 3 | 8:20 am ET | $1.5 Saudi Derby
Race 4 | 9:00 am ET | $2M Riyadh Dirt Sprint
Race 5 | 9:40 am ET | $500K Saudi International Handicap
Race 6 | 10:25 am ET | $2M Neom Turf Cup
Race 7 | 11:10 am ET | $2M 1351 Turf Sprint
Race 8 | 11:50 am ET | $2.5M Red Sea Turf Handicap
Race 9 | 12:40 pm ET | $20M Saudi Cup
Saudi Cup Day Wagering Notes
Win-Place: Takeout 17.5%, $1 minimum
Exacta: Takeout 19.5%, $1 minimum
Trifecta: Takeout 25%, $.20 minimum
Superfecta: Takeout 25%, $.10 minimum
-- all races
Pick 6 (final 6 races): Takeout 25%, $.50-cent minimum
Pick 3 (races 4-6 and 7-9): Takeout 25%, $.50-cent minimum
Daily Double (races 5-6 and 8-9): Takeout 25%, $1 minimum
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