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71 Group 1 Winners Nominated To 2022 Saudi Cup Meeting

The 2022 Saudi Cup meeting has attracted over 700 entries from 22 different countries, including a remarkable 71 international Group 1 winners, all vying to pick up some of the $35.1 million prize money across the two-day meeting on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26.

Reigning Saudi Cup champion Mishriff has already achieved impressive career earnings of $15 million, a figure that currently leaves him ninth in the list of all-time highest earning Thoroughbreds. If he were to record a historic second successive triumph in the third running of The Saudi Cup (1 1/8 miles), which will be run as a Group 1 for the first time, he would become the highest earning racehorse of all time, eclipsing Australian wondermare Winx.

Japan, a country that won two races on last year's Saudi Cup card, is responsible for over 90 entries at the meeting and is set to be represented in The Saudi Cup by T O Keynes, most recently seen landing the Champions Cup, a qualifying race for The Saudi Cup. Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Marche Lorraine is another who could take her place in the $20 million contest.

There is a strong US contingent with over 150 entries, including a number of high-profile contenders for The Saudi Cup. Breeders' Cup Classic winner and 2021 Saudi Cup fourth Knicks Go has been given an entry, along with Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile champion Life Is Good. Other possible runners from the US include Hot Rod Charlie, Mandaloun, and Midnight Bourbon.

South American superstar Aero Trem, currently in Dubai, has been entered, while there are some interesting European contenders, including Group 1 winners Sealiway, Skaletti, and Pyledriver.

Saudi Cup Undercard

The $2.5 million Group 3 Red Sea Turf Handicap (3000m) has attracted entries from 15 different countries. Japan Cup runner up Authority (JPN) and Deep Bond (JPN) could represent Japan, while Sisfahan (FR), Sonnyboyliston (IRE), Princess Zoe (GER) and Nayef Road (IRE) make up a deep European contingent.

Hollie Doyle landed the 2100m Group 3 Neom Turf Cup ($1.5 million, up from $1 million in 2021) on True Self last year, and there are some strong global entries including Lord North (IRE), Pyledriver (GB), Grand Glory (GB), Square De Luynes (FR) and the evergreen Lord Glitters (FR) from Europe. Japan have Authority (JPN), Sanrei Pocket (JPN) and So Valiant (JPN) entered, while Colonel Liam (USA) could run for America.

The Japanese have a strong entry in the Group 3 1351 Turf Sprint ($1.5 million up from $1 million in 2021), where Grenadier Guards (JPN) is guaranteed a spot after winning the Hanshin Cup. He could meet Ho O Amazon (JPN) and Songline (JPN), with Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Lieutenant Dan (USA) an interesting US entry.

In the $1.5 million Group 3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint (1200m), the US look to hold a strong hand with Group 1 winners Dr Schivel (USA) and Kimari (USA), as well as the promising Cezanne (USA). The nine-year-old Secret Ambition (GB) could line-up, while last year's winner Copano Kicking (USA) is entered to defend his crown for Japan.

A strong Latin American entry includes both Irwin (ARG) and Prelude Rye (ARG) in the 1600m G3 Saudi Derby ($1.5 million). Smile Happy (USA), Newgrange (USA), MacKinnon (USA) and Rockefeller (USA) are possible runners from the US, and in the $2 million G2 Obaiya Arabian Classic, last year's one-two, the locally-trained stablemates Mubasher Alkhalediah (KSA) and Mutwakel Alkhalediah (KSA) are set to take each other on again.

International Jockeys Challenge, Saudi International Handicap and Al Mneefah on Friday

The highlight on the opening day of the meeting (Friday 25 February) is the stc International Jockeys Challenge where seven female and seven male jockeys from around the world compete against each other. Last year's winner Shane Foley from Ireland is back to defend his crown and other jockeys confirmed at this stage are the UK's Hayley Turner and Glen Boss from Australia.

Friday sees the second running of the $500k Saudi International Handicap, a race designed for horses trained in IFHA Part II or Part III countries, with horses entered from ten countries: Bahrain, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay.

A new addition to the Friday card is the Listed Al Mneefah Cup, an international race for Purebred Arabians over 2100m on turf with prize money of $1 million.

Tom Ryan, Director of Strategy and International Racing at the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said: “We couldn't be happier with the entries for the 2022 Saudi Cup meeting. Not only do we have a huge number, over 300 more than last year, but the quality is exceptional with 71 individual Group 1 winners, including last year's Saudi Cup champion Mishriff.

“We are also absolutely delighted to see that more countries have made entries, with 22 in total compared with 19 in 2021. That goes to show how quickly the Saudi Cup meeting has had an impact globally and become a key target for owners and trainers.

“It was such a proud moment for everyone at the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia when The Saudi Cup was promoted to a Group 1, as well as the supporting races achieving Group 3 status and the Obaiya Classic being upgraded from a Listed content to a Group 2. The support we have received from horsemen and women all over the world has been incredible and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Riyadh next month.”

Full entries list here

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Two In A Row: Red-Hot Flavien Prat Again Voted Jockey Of The Week

For the second week in a row, Flavien Prat earned the title of Jockey of the Week with 10 wins including two graded stakes victories. The honor, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

It is almost becoming the norm that has Flavien Prat winning races in double digits for the week. He began the racing week at Santa Anita on Friday, winning claiming races for trainers Jeff Mullins and Richard Mandella, plus an Allowance Optional Claiming race for Michael McCarthy.

On Saturday with mounts in six races, Prat won the third race, a claiming contest, for trainer Phil D'Amato. Trainer Bob Baffert then gave a leg up to Prat on Under the Stars in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies. Off as the favorite in the field of six and breaking from the rail, Under the Stars took pressure from her rivals but started to take control on the far turn to post an impressive 3/4-length win for the seven furlongs in 1:22.51.

“I thought it was a good run,” Prat said. “There was pressure all the way around. The one hole was not the best place, but she overcame that.”

Prat also won the last race on the card, a Maiden Special Weight for trainer Simon Callaghan.

On Sunday's nine race card, Prat won Maiden Special Weight races one and three for trainer Phil D'Amato.

He was next aboard Zero Tolerance for trainer Ruben Alvarado in the G3 Las Cienegas for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. Breaking from the far outside in the field of seven, Zero Tolerance followed the favorite Hear My Prayer. Gaining the advantage at the top of the stretch, Zero Tolerance held off a late challenge from Tapwater and Joe Bravo to win by a head in 1:13.26 for 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course.

“She can be a little on her toes sometimes, but she was relaxing well today and when it was time to make a move, she responded well,” said Prat who was riding the 4-year-old for the fourth time.

With the win, Prat collected his sixth stakes of the young meet. Prat followed the stakes win with a victory in the 8th race, a Starter Allowance, for trainer Leonard Powell.

Prat's weekly statistics were 17-10-2-0 for total purse earnings of $470,320. Prat was leading jockey for the week in total and stakes purse earnings. He is currently the leading rider at Santa Anita with 21 wins.

Prat outpolled jockeys Kendrick Carmouche who also won 10 races for the week, Javier Castellano who won a stakes race at Aqueduct, Dylan Davis also with a stakes win at Aqueduct and Alfredo Juarez, Jr. who won a stakes race at Sunland Park.

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Bloodlines Presented By Caracaro: Under The Stars Further Solidifies A Proven Cross

Some things are too obvious to require heavy interpretation. The winner of the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes, Under the Stars, illustrates one of these. Three of the four stakes horses out of the Storm Cat mare Untouched Talent are by Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker (by Unbridled), Empire Maker's best stallion son, Pioneerof the Nile, and his son, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Untouched Talent's three stakes horses just mentioned are Grade 1 winner Bodemeister (Empire Maker), who won the Arkansas Derby, then finished second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness; Under the Stars (Pioneerof the Nile), winner of the G2 Santa Ynez on Jan. 8; and Himiko, a $1-million weanling by American Pharoah, who ran third in the Iowa Distaff last year as a 4-year-old.

From the evidence of three quality black-type performers by sires from Mr. Prospector's Fappiano line out of 11 foals, Untouched Talent matches well with the aptitude and physical quality of this line, perhaps with Mr. Prospector sires overall. The mare's fourth stakes horse is Fascinating, a daughter of Mr. Prospector's very successful son Smart Strike, who ran second in the G1 Del Mar Debutante and third in the G1 Chandelier.

In addition to the quality that Untouched Talent is sharing with her offspring, the mare had plenty of talent herself. She won two of her four starts, including the G3 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar, where she also placed second in the G1 Del Mar Debutante. Shipped across the country to Keeneland, Untouched Talent was second in the Alcibiades.

Untouched Talent is one of two stakes winners and several racers of ability from the A.P. Indy mare Parade Queen, winner of a pair of stakes at the Grade 3 level. She produced Grade 3 winner Untouched Talent; listed stakes winner King Gulch (Gulch); Top Billing (Curlin), third in the G2 Fountain of Youth; Kydd Gloves (Dubai Millennium), winner in two of three starts and dam of Grade 1 winner She's a Julie (Elusive Quality); and Obay (Kingmambo), who was a champion in Saudi Arabia.

Parade Queen was the only stakes winner from her dam, Spanish Parade, a stakes winner by English Derby winner Roberto. But Spanish Parade also foaled a full sister to Parade Queen, the A.P. Indy mare Post Parade, who produced four stakes winners, two here in the States and another pair in Japan.

From this material alone, this is clearly a very solid pedigree: wall to wall with quality sires, producers, and performers.

Generation after generation of the tabulated pedigree indicates that the genetic ancestry of excellence is proving out on the racecourse in athleticism and competitive ability. Ricked up like this in a five-cross or six-cross pedigree, we can see the volume of production and performance that results in true depth of family for a Thoroughbred.

Depth of family is the concept that superior racers are developed through repeated layerings of high-class sires onto dam lines of similar athleticism. The overarching principle is that if each generation has shown its ability to race effectively or produce stock that does, a breeder doesn't have to fill holes or compensate for weaknesses.

Under the Stars, for example, is by a sire of proven classic importance, and the succeeding sires include winners of the Belmont Stakes and English Derby, the American and the English Triple Crowns.

English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky is the sire of the Nijit, fourth dam of Under the Stars. On the racetrack, Nijit placed second in a couple of minor stakes and was third in the G2 Cotillion. Her full brother Beaudelaire did somewhat better, winning four of seven starts, including the G2 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

They are out of a mare named Bitty Girl, who showed herself one of the best juvenile fillies of 1973 in England, when she won the Queen Mary, Lowther, and Molecomb Stakes. Her successes helped to make her sire Habitat (Sir Gaylord) the leading freshman sire of 1973 in England, as well as the leading sire of juveniles overall. Habitat's son Habat was the highweighted colt of the crop; Bitty Girl was co-highweight among the fillies.

Sent to America and retired to stud, Bitty Girl was covered by Nijinsky and set this sequence of excellence in motion.

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First Foal Is A Colt For WinStar Farm’s Improbable

WinStar Farm's multiple Grade 1 winner Improbable, the 2020 Eclipse champion older male, sired his first reported foal when a colt was born at Bluewater Farm on Monday night, Jan. 10.

Bred by CHC Inc., the colt, who hails from a family replete with black-type, is out of the winning Into Mischief mare Dark Corner, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Perfect Alibi, winner of the 2019 Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes.

“We've been eagerly anticipating the Improbable foals since retiring him to stud in 2021,” said Liam O'Rourke, WinStar's Director of Bloodstock Services. “We're thrilled for our longtime partner CHC having his first foal. We look forward to welcoming many more foals out of quality mares like Dark Corner.”

Improbable, City Zip's only four-time Grade 1 winner, rattled off three consecutive Grade 1 victories in 2020, taking the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the historic G1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, and the G1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita. In the latter, he defeated champion Maximum Security by 4 1/2 lengths, recording a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 108.

Undefeated in three starts at two—a pair of them stakes—Improbable reported home a spectacular five-length winner over subsequent Grade 1 winner Mucho Gusto in the 2018 G1 Los Alamitos Futurity, getting the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.18, the fastest time of the race in over a decade. A stakes winner each season from two to four, Improbable concluded his stellar career with a runner-up finish in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic in 2020, earning a 108 Beyer and a 2 Ragozin, the fastest of the field. All told, he won seven starts, six of them stakes, and bankrolled $2,729,520 for owners WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., and SF Racing.

From the immediate female family of Hard Spun, Improbable was booked full in 2021, having bred 177 mares in his initial season at stud. Improbable was the No. 1 Freshman Sire by 2021 CPI (Class Performance Index)—3.80 and number-two sire by CI (Comparable Index)—2.39 in the $25,000-$49,999 stud fee range. Represented in 2021 by first in-foal mares that sold for $550,000, $445,000, $420,000, etc., Improbable was the number-two freshman covering sire by average—$218,187.

Improbable is a complete outcross in his first four generations. His dam, Rare Event, is by A.P. Indy, while his second dam is a half-sister to Hard Spun. Improbable will stand the upcoming breeding season for $35,000 S&N.

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