On this week’s HorseCenter, Brian Zipse and Matt Shifman offer top picks and analysis for a pair of big races worlds apart this weekend. Saturday’s Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup is the richest horse race in the world and features a showdown between the Japanese star Forever Young and the world’s top-rated horse from Hong Kong, Romantic Warrior.

About 7,500 miles to the west and one day later on Sunday, Oaklawn hosts the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2). The important Kentucky Derby prep has drawn a wide-open field of 14 topped by Speed King and Sandman, who were the top two finishers in the track’s Southwest Stakes (G3) four weeks ago.

Before going over the Saudi Cup and the Rebel, Matt and Brian will take a look back at a pair of Kentucky Derby preps from last week.

Matt: Steve Asmussen and jockey Ben Curtis had a great plan for Magnitude in the Risen Star (G2), and it played out perfectly. Curtis hustled him from the far outside to get to the lead on the rail and once he relaxed in stride the race was all but over. Magnitude won the race in a fast time and drew off to win by almost 10 lengths.

Brian: The ups and downs of both the sport and the Kentucky Derby trail were on full display this past week, Matt. Just days after that huge performance by Magnitude in the Risen Star transformed him from an afterthought to one of the favorites for this year’s Kentucky Derby, an ankle chip was discovered forcing him off the Triple Crown trail. Hopefully, he will come back 100% later this season.

On a brighter note, Sunday’s edition of the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby was an exciting race to watch and likely produced a pair of colts who can move forward on the Derby trail after powering away from the rest of the field. The more experienced Getaway Car, a son of Curlin trained by Bob Baffert, was a game and narrow winner, but I really liked what I saw from the runner-up. 

Caldera, who was making his stakes debut, was wide most of the way but still managed to give the winner everything he wanted down the Sunland Park stretch before ultimately losing by a whisker. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas and owned by MyRacehorse, it looks like the son of Liam’s Map could follow in the footsteps of Seize the Grey and be another handsome grey making noise in the classics for his many supporters.

Matt: Along with Forever Young, who finished third in last year’s Kentucky Derby in that blanket finish, familiar names in the Saudi Cup include Rattle N Roll for Kenny McPeek and last-year’s second-place finisher Ushba Tesoro.

Brian: Forever Young became one of the most popular horses on the globe last year from his exploits in Dubai, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. He has proven himself one of the best dirt horses anywhere time and time again. With any luck he could have been a Kentucky Derby winner and he ran a sneaky good race when third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Having said all that, we simply cannot forget about Romantic Warrior in this year’s Saudi Cup. There is a good reason why he is currently the top-rated horse in the world. The 7-year-old son of Acclamation has won 18 of 23 starts overall and has never been better. Like Forever Young, he has traveled and won big races. This, however, will be his first race ever on dirt.

Matt: I am happy to see that the top American handicap horses like White Abarrio, Sierra Leone and Fierceness are not making the trip to the Saudi Cup. That means we should be seeing them run here in America without any significant interruption that usually comes following the long trip to the Middle East.

Brian: Back in the U.S., talk about a real puzzle of a race to solve, this year’s Rebel Stakes should handsomely reward anyone who can cash their tickets. As part of a big card, which was moved from Saturday to Sunday because of inclement weather, the sizable field includes a myriad of legitimate contenders. I was a little surprised to see that Sandman was made the 4-1 morning-line choice, but I can’t say I disagree considering the start he got off to in his second-place finish in the Southwest. 

His many challengers include the horses who finished first and third in that race, Speed King and Tiztastic. Both are contenders here. Two talented horses coming from California, Bullard and Madaket Road, should also get plenty of support. And then there is Coal Battle, who can’t seem to get much respect. The son of Coal Front has won three straight stakes races and three different tracks for trainer Lonnie Briley. He is also perfect in four career starts on the dirt.

Matt: The big purse in the Rebel drew a full field of 14 horses in this third stop on the Oaklawn road to the Kentucky Derby. In the field there are eight 3-year-olds who have Derby points to their credit. Coal Battle is a two-time winner on the Derby trail with victories in the Springboard Mile and the Smarty Jones. Speed King was an impressive front-end winner of the Southwest, earning speed figures that top the field. In my Rebel analysis that was posted on HRN Wednesday, I identified six horses as win contenders, further emphasizing the wide-open nature of this race.

Brian: I was tempted to go with the consistent Wilson Tesoro as my top pick in the Saudi Cup, as I believe he will run a good race at attractive odds. I just can’t look past Forever Young, however. He had a great 3-year-old season and seems to be going very well for his return to Saudi Arabia where he won the Saudi Derby last year. I believe this track suits him. Forever Young is my top pick in the Saudi Cup.

Matt: It is hard to pick against Forever Young in the Saudi Cup. He never has run a bad race facing the best competition around the world. He ran great in the Saudi Derby last year. I know that Brian has been a big fan of this Japanese runner for a long time. What about the 7-year-old Romantic Warrior who comes to the race with eight wins in a row in Group 1 stakes all around the world? Romantic Warrior is the morning-line second choice and even though he will be making his first start, on the dirt he will be my top pick.