American Runners Ready for Return to Riyadh

A year ago, a brigade of American runners dominated results in the inaugural running of the $20-million Saudi Cup, taking four of the top five placings in the world's richest race. Another top-level group of U.S.-based horses are set to return to Riyadh for the second running of the 1 1/8-miles race Feb. 20. Leading the group is Charlatan (Speightstown), who returned from a layoff to record a scintillating victory in the Dec. 26 GI Malibu S. last month. The newly turned 4-year-old worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 (1/5) at Santa Anita Wednesday and shortly afterward trainer Bob Baffert declared the colt “better than he's ever been.”

“I think the Saudi Cup is perfect timing for him,” Baffert told reporters during a conference call Wednesday afternoon. “It's a one-turn 1 1/8 miles and I think coming off the seven-eighths race, especially the way he did it, I think it is a perfect kind of distance. We know he ships well and he has a great mind on him. He's a good gate horse. It's very challenging to go to Saudi or Dubai. You need a really great mind and he has a really great mind. So I think that race fits the bill perfectly for him.”

Charlatan will be making just his fifth start next month at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, but his lack of experience doesn't concern Baffert.

“I think his talent makes up for his inexperience,” Baffert, who finished fourth with Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) in last year's race, said. “I think he has enough experience where he doesn't know what it's like to lose. I think that's a good trait.”

Charlatan will be piloted in the desert by Mike Smith, who rode the colt for the first time in the Malibu. Smith finished second aboard Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in last year's Saudi Cup, but received a nine-day ban and was issued a $210,000 fan–60% of his share of the purse–for violating the country's whip rules.

Of the Hall of Fame jockey's return to Riyadh, Baffert quipped, “He's fine. I think he just needs to count a little bit better.”

Knicks Go (Paynter), winner of last year's GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, earned a trip to Riyadh with his front-running victory in the Jan. 23 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and could prove Charlatan's toughest competition.

“They are sort of the same type of horse,” Baffert said of a potential match-up between the two front-runners. “Knicks Go, he likes two turns, he likes that better because he can get away from his competition. Speed horses like that are so dangerous going two turns, but going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles, it's a different story.”

The Juddmonte Farms homebred Tacitus (Tapit), fifth in last year's Saudi Cup, makes a return trip to Riyadh to fly the colors of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, who passed away just two weeks ago.

“Any time we lead a horse over there in Juddmonte's silks it is very special,” Riley Mott, assistant to his father, trainer Bill Mott, said during the teleconference Wednesday. “Every trainer in the world desires to train for such an operation. Last year when we brought Tacitus, he had a nice little following locally due to the fact that he was a Juddmonte horse. He had a lot of fans there on race day. And just to be there in Prince Khalid Abdullah's home country was very special. To bring Tacitus back this year is something we are very much looking forward to and a big reason why we kept him in training this year.”

Tacitus has made a name for himself more for the races he almost wins than the ones he actually wins. The regally bred gray was third in the GI Kentucky Derby, as well as the 2019 and 2020 renewals of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. He was runner-up in the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. in 2019 and again in the GI Woodward H. last year.

“He's been a little frustrating,” Mott admitted. “He always flirts with winning a top Grade I. He has placed in a lot of prestigious races here in the U.S. and is just on the cusp of breaking through in one of those big ones. He's by a champion stallion out of a champion mare that Prince Khalid Abdullah bred himself, so for him to break through and win one of these big Grade Is would mean the world for him in his next career as a stallion. We think he is capable of it. No matter what race we run him in, whether it be a Group III or Group I, he is always liable to hit the board. So we are hoping he is good on the day.”

Also representing the Mott barn in Riyadh next month will be multiple Grade I winner Channel Maker (English Channel), who is expected to go postward in the $1-million Middle Distance Turf Cup. Now seven, the chestnut gelding set the pace before settling for third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland last October.

“He's a horse we are very much looking forward to bringing over,” Mott said of Channel Maker. “We are confident in how he is doing and training. We will see how he stacks up against the competition, but he's been a really fun horse to have in the barn.”

Both Tacitus and Channel Maker could go on to engagements on the Dubai World Cup card in March if they exit their races in Saudi Arabia in fine fashion.

Despite the ongoing global pandemic, officials from the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said it was all systems go for the Feb. 19 and 20 festival of races.

“We are going to get through this the same way as other big events before us,” said Tom Ryan, director of strategy and international racing for the Jockey Club said. “Whether that's Hong Kong in December, Bahrain in November or the Breeders' Cup, there is a template there internationally for us to follow. This will be the Saudi Arabian version of that.”

Of attendance on race day, Ryan added, “In terms of attendance on course, it will be greatly scaled back compared to last year's very positive and well-attended event–participants, a small number of ministers in an outdoor setting, very prudently arranged. That will be about it, I think.”

While Baffert was on hand for the Saudi Cup's inaugural running, the trainer said he would be staying home this time around.

“I'm going to send [assistant] Jimmy [Barnes],” Baffert said. “One of us has to stay back. If for some reason they don't let us back in, I have to be here to keep the ship going.”

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Juddmonte Reveals 2021 U.S. Mating Plans

Eclipse champion Close Hatches (First Defence), dam of multiple graded stakes winner Tacitus (Tapit), will be visiting WinStar Farm stallion Constitution this year, highlighting a list of high-profile U.S.-based mares whose 2021 mating plans were released Monday by Juddmonte Farm. The 11-year-old mare, who has a yearling filly by Constitution's sire Tapit and was bred to that Gainesway stallion last year, is one of several Juddmonte mares expected to be bred to Constitution this year. The list also includes 2012 Canadian 2-year-old filly champion and GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Spring in the Air (Spring at Last).

“We are breeding quite a few mares to Constitution,” Juddmonte's Leif Aaron said. “His early results speak for themselves and he is able to get a Classic-type of horse which is what we are after. He is capable of siring graded-stakes caliber horses at a very impressive frequency. He seems to fit nicely with many of our mares for a variety of reasons.”

Juddmonte Farm has eight mares booked to Into Mischief in 2021.

“He is such a strong influence of speed and determination and he matches well with our Classic mares,” Aaron said of the Spendthrift stallion.

Among the Juddmonte mares visiting Into Mischief this year are four-time Grade I winner Emollient (Empire Maker)–who was repatraited to the U.S. after producing foals by the farm's English superstar Frankel (GB) the last three years–and Hachita (Gone West), dam of Grade I winner Announce (GB) (Selkirk).

Of what he expects from progeny of Into Mischief, Aaron said, “Without sounding like a broken record, it really is their speed, soundness and determination that makes his offspring so successful. He really stamps his offspring. When an Into Mischief walks out of the barn, you usually have a pretty good idea of who the sire is.”

Juddmonte has been represented by a trio of homebred 'TDN Rising Stars' from the barn of trainer Brad Cox in the last few months, two of whom–Mandaloun and Prate–are by Into Mischief.

“Those two colts reinforce that Into Mischief is a sire that is consistently getting winners,” Aaron said.

Mandaloun, tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a debut win at Keeneland in October, was third as the beaten favorite in the Jan. 16 GIII Lecomte S. in his sophomore debut.

“Mandaloun is scheduled to make his next start in the [Feb. 13 GII] Risen Star S.,” Aaron said. “He is still a little green, so we are going to add blinkers for his next start in hopes of getting him to focus a little more.”

Prate was named a 'TDN Rising Star' following a debut win at Fair Grounds Dec. 19. The gray colt worked four furlongs in :50.00 (52/133) in New Orleans Sunday.

“We are taking our time with Prate and trying to find the right spot for him,” Aaron said. “Both colts are doing great.”

Shoppers at the recent Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale nearly had a chance to buy into the families of both 'Rising Stars,' with Prate's half-sister by Kantharos catalogued as hip 106 and a half-sister by Arrogate to Mandaloun's dam Brooch (Empire Maker) catalogued as hip 207, but both were withdrawn from the auction.

“Both of those short yearlings that were entered are fillies and their relatives made it an easy decision for us to hold on to them for now,” Aaron said. “At the moment we are going to let them grow up a little and reevaluate from there.”

Juddmonte's trio of 'Rising Stars' is completed by the filly Sun Path (Munnings) and her sire will also be covering Juddmonte mares in 2021.

“Munnings is a horse that has done it the hard way and continued to grind his way to the top,” Aaron said. “With Sun Path, we were a little disappointed in her last race, [fourth in the Jan. 16 Silverbulletday S.], but everyone has a bad day now and then. We will wait for Brad's advice on how she is doing and where to go with her next.”

Among the other Juddmonte matings announced Monday, Soothing Touch (Touch Gold), dam of Emollient, will visit Curlin and Grade I winner Antonoe (First Defence) will visit Speightstown. Multiple Grade I winner Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper) and Rising Tornado (Storm Cat), dam of Close Hatches, will both be bred to Tapit.

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Hidden Scroll Strolls Home in First Start for Cox

Named a 'TDN Rising Star' off his 14-length debut win and 104 Beyer at Gulfstream two years ago, Hidden Scroll (Hard Spun) disappointed as the favorite in both the 2019 GI Florida Derby and GII Fountain of Youth and only managed one other win during his nine-race tenure in two seasons for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The former Juddmonte runner was always highly regarded, but frequently tried his connections with behavioral issues which were never more apparent than when going to the Gulfstream gate last January after an eight-month layoff. He became fractious, lost his rider after being loaded in the gate, and was scratched by the stewards. He flashed his ability next out in March with a second double-digit win and a 102 Beyer, but didn't hit the board in four other starts last year.

Entered in last year's Keeneland November sale, Hidden Scroll sold to his new connections for $525,000 as further evidence of the latent ability believed to be bubbling beneath the surface. New conditioner Brad Cox tuned him up with a four-furlong bullet move at Oaklawn Jan. 17 in :47 2/5 (1/125).

Hammered down to 1-2 for his 5-year-old debut, Hidden Scroll broke smoothly and was shuffled back to midpack after steadying slightly in traffic behind a first quarter in :21.77. He was eager and hard held by Florent Geroux, then let go after a half in :46.04 around the six path coming off the turn. The eye-catching move sent him straight to the front and he strolled home a facile winner under a hand ride. Royal Daaher (Daaher) chased him home, 2 1/4 lengths behind in second.

Cox, considered the favorite to be named the outstanding trainer at this coming week's Eclipse awards, had a big day Saturday with another horse he also turned around: his Knicks Go (Paynter) won the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S.

Hidden Scroll's unraced dam, Sheba Queen, was sold for $7,500 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale and shipped to Turkey for two years before returning to the U.S. in 2019. She was bred to Mendelssohn for this term after delivering a Flintshire (GB) colt in Turkey in 2018 that also came stateside. Sheba Queen is out of French Group 1 winner Etoile Montante (Miswaki) and is a half to MGSW Starformer (Dynaformer) from the extended family of Juddmonte homebreds Bonny South (Munnings), a GSW & GISP runner of 2020, and Sun Path (Munnings), fourth in last week's Silverbulletday S., who are also in the Cox barn.

7th-Oaklawn, $85,000, Alw, 1-24, (NW3L), 4yo/up, 6f, 1:11.89, my, 2 1/4 lengths.
HIDDEN SCROLL (h, 5, Hard Spun–Sheba Queen, by Empire Maker) Lifetime Record: 10-3-0-1, $155,007. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Marc Detampel; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. *$525,000 4yo '20 KEENOV.

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Sunday’s Insights: Hidden Scroll Gets Fresh Start for Brad Cox

8th-Gulfstream Park, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, post time: 3:42 p.m. ET
RICHEBOURG (Curlin), an $800,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Alpha Delta Stable, kicks off her career for Chad Brown. Produced by a half-sister to MGISW Evening Jewel (Northern Afleet), she is a half-sister to GI Triple Bend S. winner Denman's Call (Northern Afleet). Scarlett Lace (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to ill-fated champion sprinter Points Offthebench (Benchmark), debuts for Brian Lynch. She RNA'd for $500,000 at Keeneland September. TJCIS PPs

7th-Oaklawn Park, $85K, Alw, N3L, 4yo/up, 6f, post time: 5:09 p.m. ET
'TDN Rising Star' HIDDEN SCROLL (Hard Spun) makes his highly anticipated return to the races for new connections after bringing $525,000 from Marc Detampel as a horse of racing age at last year's Keeneland November Sale. Formerly campaigned by his breeder Juddmonte Farms and trainer Bill Mott, the bay's form is highlighted by a pair of blowout, double-digit length victories and triple-digit Beyers, but little went right in his four most recent trips to the post, including a trio of turf tries in New York, finishing fifth last time at Saratoga Aug. 1. The 2019 GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. fourth-place finisher fired a four-furlong warning shot for Brad Cox in :47 2/5 (1/125) at Oaklawn Jan. 17. TJCIS PPs

8th-Oaklawn Park, $84K, Alw, N1X, 3yo, f, 6f, post time: 5:40 p.m. ET
ABROGATE (Outwork), a runaway front-running debut winner for Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs Nov. 12, takes on winners for the first time. The runner-up that day Zoom Up (Upstart) has since won two straight, including a Fair Grounds optional claimer in her two-turn debut earlier this week. The Alex and JoAnn Lieblong colorbearer, favored at 8-5 on the morning line, gets first-time Lasix. She was the co-fourth most expensive yearling of 66 from Outwork's first crop to change hands, bringing $270,000 at Keeneland September. TJCIS PPs

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