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Updated: January 10, 2025 at 10:33 am
Sierra Leone | Horsephotos
By Alan Carasso
A total of 1,123 entries, including 81 Group or Grade I winners from no fewer than 21 racing jurisdictions from all over the world were received for the 2025 Saudi Cup meeting, to be held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22 and King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. The entries were released Friday by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA). (See TDN Europe for the entries to the meeting’s turf events)
Some $38.1 million in prize money will be on offer over the course of the weekend, headed up by the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, which has lured entries from the connections of 28 elite-level scorers worldwide. Juddmonte’s reigning G1 Dubai World Cup romper Laurel River (Into Mischief) is set to make his seasonal reappearance for trainer Bhupat Seemar on Fashion Friday at Meydan on Jan. 24 as a stepping-stone to the Saudi Cup, a race dearly coveted by the family of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah. Contention figures to run very deep, as the competition looks set to include ‘TDN Rising Star’ Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic hero and a leading Eclipse Award candidate; Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), who took a thrilling renewal of the G3 Saudi Derby on the program 12 months ago on his world travels and recently won the G1 Tokyo Daishoten following his third placing at the Breeders’ Cup; and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), who could return to defend his title after nosing out Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) last year.
The Saudi Cup nominations are spiced up considerably by the addition of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who is pointing to the 1800-meter contest after taking in the G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan on Fashion Friday. Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) is another intriguing entry from the Far East for what would also mark his first start on a dirt track. Last year’s G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner and G1 Arima Kinen third is out of Top Decile (Congrats), second in the G1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2014.
Other prominent American entries include Wathnan Racing’s MGSW Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}); the locally owned Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), beaten under a length in third last February; the Todd Pletcher-trained GII Cigar Mile Handicap winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Locked (Gun Runner); GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) and the consistent Rattle N Roll (Connect) from the barn of Ken McPeek; GI Malibu Stakes hero Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) for internationally minded trainer Doug O’Neill; Soul of an Angel (Atreides), the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint upsetter and last year’s beaten favorite White Abarrio (Race Day) for Saffie Joseph, Jr.; Stronghold (Ghostzapper), winner of the 2024 GI Santa Anita Derby and a sound runner-up in the Malibu for Phil d’Amato; and Malibu third Imagination (Into Mischief) and recent impressive Santa Anita allowance winner Mirahmadi (Into Mischief) from the barn of Bob Baffert.
There also figures to be strong American representation in the two other dirt races on the Saudi Cup undercard. Japan’s Remake (Lani) is an anticipated runner in the newly upgraded $2-million G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, whose purse was boosted by $500,000 for this running. Shippers from the States could include GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint hero Straight No Chaser (Speightster); Book’em Danno (Bucchero) and Bentornato (Valiant Minister), second and third, respectively, in last year’s Saudi Derby; the reliable Nakatomi (Firing Line); and the in-form Giant Mischief (Into Mischief), a latest winner of the Nov. 29 Fall Highweight Stakes for Cox.
The Saudi Derby is contested over the one-turn 1600-meter configuration at King Abdulaziz, and several U.S.-based gallopers will look to get the upper hand over what is typically a strong group of horses from Japan. Juddmonte’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Disco Time (Not This Time), last seen running his record to two-for-two with a mile allowance win at Churchill Downs in late November, has been given an entry by Brad Cox and is in steady training at the Fair Grounds; trainer Chad Summers is giving strong consideration to a Middle East campaign for Cyclone State (McKinzie), easy winner of the Jan. 4 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct; ‘TDN Rising Star’ Guns Loaded (Gun Runner) could be another on the program for D’Angelo off his neck success in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Jan. 4; and trainer Bob Baffert has entered Eclipse finalist and GI Del Mar Futurity hero Gaming (Game Winner) as well as GIII Best Pal Stakes winner Getaway Car (Curlin).
A handful of American-based horses have been entered for the meeting’s three group-level turf races. Howard Wolowitz (Munnings), winner of the GI Franklin-Simpson Stakes, holds an entry for the G2 1351 Turf Sprint, as does the Graham Motion-trained Isivunguvungu (SAf) (What a Winter {Saf}). Todd Pletcher has engaged GII Kentucky Turf Cup winner Grand Sonata (Medaglia d’Oro) for the G2 Neom Turf Cup (2100mT) where he could be joined by Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) and Dicey Mo Chara (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) from California for George Papaprodroumou and Leonard Powell, respectively. Grand Sonata (56.5 kg) also holds an entry for the G2 Red Sea Turf Handicap (3000mT), as do GII United Nations Stakes victor Get Smokin (Get Stormy, 56.5 kg) and Verstappen (War Front, 54.5 kg). Japan’s Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), third in the G1 Japan Cup, is the 62 kg highweight and is expected to accept that impost.
“Horse racing thrives on international competition, and we believe that the Saudi Cup is the perfect event to showcase the best of global racing,” said HRH Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Alfaisal, chairman of the JCSA. “The Saudi Cup itself is the pinnacle of our racing season and in a few short years has become a truly global race. This year’s renewal looks perhaps the strongest yet.
“As we continually improve our offering, through race upgrades and further investment, The Kingdom continues to grow as a destination for horse racing, both domestically and internationally.
“We look forward to welcoming all connections to King Abdulaziz Racecourse next month for what promises to be another unforgettable Saudi Cup meeting.”
Click here for the full list of entries.
2️⃣8️⃣ G1 winners nominated for this year’s $20 million Saudi Cup, featuring the likes of:
🇦🇪 LAUREL RIVER
🇺🇸 SIERRA LEONE
🇭🇰 ROMANTIC WARRIOR
🇺🇸 MYSTIK DAN
🇯🇵 FOREVER YOUNG
🇺🇸 SEÑOR BUSCADOR
🇯🇵 DANON DECILE
🇺🇸 SOUL OF AN ANGEL
🇦🇷 EL KODIGO#TheSaudiCup | #サウジカップ pic.twitter.com/Ri5hwbZN6H— The Saudi Cup (@thesaudicup) January 10, 2025
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