Tag: king abdulaziz

The Avengers: Five Americans Look To Take Back Saudi Cup

In the previous four runnings of the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, American-based horses have–surprisingly–passed the post in first on a single occasion while finishing second on each occasion. That 'victory' came in the much-discussed inaugural running in 2020, a result that seems likely to soon be overturned, albeit to the benefit of another American horse.

So, even though the U.S. is the epicenter of world dirt racing, its five representatives this year arguably still have something to prove when a field of 14 loads the gate around 12:40 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon. And it's anything but a fait accompli that one of them gets their picture taken in the King Abdulaziz winner's enclosure a short time thereafter.

We will analyze America's chances in these pages and will have a look at the runners from defending champion Japan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, plus previews for Saturday's five other group races back in TDN Europe.

White Abarrio (Race Day) looks to become the first winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic to double up in Riyadh and races first-up since his defeat of the re-opposing Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) at Santa Anita on the first Saturday of November. The 5-year-old really came to life at the back end of 2023, powering home in the Whitney prior to his Classic effort.

“We thought we had a chance of beating a couple of horses in the [Whitney],” trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. told the Saudi Cup notes team earlier this week. “We weren't expecting or hoping to beat Cody's Wish (Curlin), but two turns at Saratoga might not have been Cody's Wish's game, who knows, so we said we'd take a chance.

He continued, “But I never got to breeze him for the race, so we were like 10 days without breezing and you just show up. But we did breeze him the morning of [the race] and Irad [Ortiz] happened to be there watching. It wasn't my plan, I wasn't even there, I was on my way up because I had to train at Belmont but Irad caught it and he was wondering if we were going to scratch!” laughed the trainer.

“When I knew that we were coming here, it was like 11 days before we came and I was like man, they are playing into our hands because we don't need to breeze him,” the conditioner continued. “We can play the same game and right now I feel that he is over the trip and he's himself now.”

White Abarrio, who will carry the red-and-white silks of Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz, has saddle cloth 14, but gate one, and he'll want to leave there running to be handy to a pace that maps above-average quick. Dutrow has expressed his intention to blow out his charge on race morning.

 

 

 

National Treasure is one of three in the race for Quality Road, who accounted for 2022 Saudi Cup stunner Emblem Road. The $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad employed front-running tactics to take out last year's GI Preakness S. and nearly pulled off the upset when ridden the same way in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile last November. But the 4-year-old showed a bit of a rating gear when last seen in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., as he shook free into the final furlong and held the rallying Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) in the run to the line.

“He has a good post to work from in seven,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert. “This is our fifth runner in this race, we have been second three times (Charlatan, 2021, Country Grammer, 2022-23), so we are hoping to make the breakthrough.”

Senor Buscador figures to sit a good trip from gate four beneath Junior Alvarado.

Reigning GI Pennsylvania Derby winner Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) may have been out of his depth in the Classic, as he was a beaten horse a long way from home, but this 1800-meter trip figures to suit him much better. He was a convincing winner of the GIII Louisiana S. when last seen Jan. 20, but those immediately behind that day made no impact in the GIII Mineshaft S. last weekend.

“I think he's more suited from a mile [1600m] to a mile and an eighth [1800m] and the one turn should be ideal for him,” jockey Florent Geroux said. “It's a very deep race. I've been on him many times before, I know him very well, the work rider has done a perfect job and I'll leave it to them.”

Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) is the least-likely among the five U.S. horses, but did post a 109 Beyer in wiring the GII Cigar Mile H. back in December.

“It's all about winning,” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “If you're not in it to win, you best stay home and if you don't want to be in great races like this, you ought to go do something else.”

The post The Avengers: Five Americans Look To Take Back Saudi Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Moore, Oliver, Saez Headline Saudi Jockeys’ Competition

Fourteen world-class jockeys from eight jurisdictions around the world will participate in the International Jockeys' Challenge to be held on the eve of the Saudi Cup meeting at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh Friday, Feb. 23. A team of seven male riders will compete against seven of their female counterparts in the four-race series.

Ryan Moore will feature in the Jockeys' Challenge for the first time in its brief history. The veteran reinsman, who was recognized as the Longines World's Best Jockey in Hong Kong last December, is one of five male participants based overseas, alongside the defending champion Luis Saez from the United States, Maxime Guyon from France and Japan's Ryusei Sakai.

Legendary Australian jockey Damien Oliver, the last of the overseas invitees, officially retired from the saddle Dec. 16, taking a Group 3 race named in his honour at Ascot in his hometown of Perth in Western Australia. But similar to his compatriot Glen Boss in 2022, Oliver–a three-time winner of the G1 Melbourne Cup–will pause his retirement to take part in the event, which is worth US$30,000 to the winner from a total pool of US$100,000. Oliver will look to add to the 3,168 winners he rode during an illustrious 34-year career in the saddle.

Eight-times Saudi champion Camilo Ospina and current titleholder Adel Alfouraidi round out the line-up for the males.

New Zealand's Lisa Allpress made history in 2020 when becoming the first female to win a race in Saudi Arabia, and the four-time leading rider returns to Riyadh for another crack. Australasia is also set to be represented by the Sydney-based Alysha Collett. America's Katie Davis makes her debut in the event and will be joined by South Africa's Rachel Venniker, Victoria Mota from Brazil, French jockey Maryline Eon and Great Britain's Saffie Osborne, the daughter of trainer Jamie Osborne, who was part of the female team that emerged victorious at last year's Shergar Cup at Ascot.

“The jockeys challenge on the Friday of Saudi Cup weekend is always one of the event highlights for me,” said HRH Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Alfaisal, Chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia. We are justifiably proud of the variety of racing showcased across the two days. To be in a position to offer a global stage to 14 of the world's best jockeys, seven men and seven women, is highly gratifying.

“We wish the best of luck to all the jockeys competing and hope that their feats on the racecourse serve to inspire new generations of riders both in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”

 

The post Moore, Oliver, Saez Headline Saudi Jockeys’ Competition appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Saudi Cup To Be World Pool Event

Sports Information Services (SIS) has entered into an agreement with the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) for six races on the US$31.5- million Saudi Cup race meeting hosted at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 25 to become a HKJC World Pool event.

Established in 2019, The Saudi Cup race day has solidified itself on the global racing calendar with horses from 15 countries planning to participate this year. The feature race, the US$20-million G1 Saudi Cup, will showcase last year's top-two finishers in Emblem Road (Quality Road) and Country Grammar (Tonalist).

The HKJC will host the wagering pools on races three through eight on Saudi Cup Day, giving bettors access to the biggest international commingled pools in the world. SIS will coordinate the commercial arrangements with global pool operators. Historically, North America has been the largest participant in the Saudi Cup Day pools and this deal not only benefits that market with increased liquidity from Hong Kong, but attracts additional operators from France, the United Kingdom and Ireland, who join existing operators from Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, Peru and Panama.

“The Saudi Cup is a race that has already firmly established itself in the racing calendar and we are thrilled to have this meeting as part of the World Pool. We aim to include the best international racing events within the World Pool schedule, so it makes sense for the Saudi Cup to join the roster in 2023,” Sam Nati, HKJC's Head of Commingling, said.

The first race will be at 7:45 a.m. EST.

The post The Saudi Cup To Be World Pool Event appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Emblem Road Makes Successful Return in Riyadh

Prince Saud bin Salman Abdulaziz's Emblem Road (Quality Road), who caused one of the biggest upsets of the 2022 racing season anywhere in the world when defeating an international field in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, took a major step towards a defense of that title with a convincing four-length success in a $25,289 allowance going the one-turn 1600 meters at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh Friday.

Drawn gate four and asked to carry 62kg (136 pounds), the mount of Alexis Moreno was clearly last into stride and was guided into the clear inside the opening quarter-mile, then proceeded to improve his position into midfield passing the halfway point. Some six or seven wide into the bend, the 5-year-old caught the eye approaching the 600-meter marker as he began to wind up with a menacing run nearing the straight. Racing on his left lead, Emblem Road struck to the lead with about a furlong to travel and was pushed out under mild hands-and-heels encouragement to score by four lengths (see below).

A perennial leading local jockey, Moreno guided Emblem Road to three consecutive scores in 2021 and 2022, including the $213,000 Prince Faisal Cup, a local Saudi Cup prep, this time last year. When Moreno elected to retain the mount on King's Cup hero Making Miracles (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) for the Saudi Cup, that opened the door for Wigberto Ramos to take over aboard Emblem Road and the duo came storming down the center of the track to best Country Grammer (Tonalist) by a half-length, with Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) third. Making Miracles was fourth.

Emblem Road, $230,000 Keeneland September yearling and $80,000 OBS June breezer, was winning for the eighth time from 11 starts overall. He was last seen in France last July when he finished fifth of sixth as the somewhat surprising favorite in the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy, his only start on the turf to date.

 

The post Emblem Road Makes Successful Return in Riyadh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights