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Saudi Cup: More Prize Money For 2021, No News Yet On Maximum Security Purse Payout

With the result of the 2020 Saudi Cup, won by Maximum Security, still under scrutiny, next year's event has been launched with a new date and more prize-money.

The two-day meeting, which showcases the $20 million world's richest horse race, has been moved forward a week to Feb. 19 and 20, 2021 and total prize-money for the eight-race card raised to $30.5 million from $29.2 million.

Yet still overshadowing the inaugural running of the Saudi Cup, in which Maximum Security defeated Midnight Bisou and Benbatl, is the controversial aftermath involving the the winner's then-trainer Jason Servis.

Servis was subsequently charged in the United States – alongside a number of others, including fellow trainer Jorge Navarro – with participating in manufacturing, distributing and administering misbranded substances to horses.

He has pleaded not guilty and Maximum Security, jointly owned by Gary and Mary West and the Coolmore partnership, has been moved to Bob Baffert.

However following the developments the Saudi Jockey Club launched its own investigation and has withheld the distribution of the $10 million first prize money until inquiries have been concluded.

The issue was addressed by Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, at the 2021 Saudi Cup launch on Tuesday.

He said: “This is a very unusual situation, not something any of us predicted but it has happened. On a personal level I am quite emotional about this because I was really rooting for that horse after what it went through in the Kentucky Derby [in 2019, in which he finished first but was disqualified for interference].

“We are where we are and we have to have races based on our own rules and regulations. The prize money will be paid out. We have covered all prize money regarding the whole two days of the meet and Maximum Security is the only pending situation unfortunately.

“We are at the mercy of what's happening legally in the U.S. We understand they are addressing this. COVID-19 has not helped them move things along. I have seen some movement in the past weeks regarding this, and it will be resolved one way or another. Someone will be paid out this money, the question is who.

“I am personally very encouraged that the US is taking a more active and visible stance against prohibited drugs. I am very disappointed it affected the most important horse to us, the one that won the race.

“We are looking more in the range of a couple of weeks to two months maximum before this is closed on their end and then we can move on.”

The 2020 Saudi Cup has been rated the best dirt race run in the world over the last 12 months by Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, which Prince Bandar described as “an honor”.

Whether next year's race can take place at the King Abdulaziz racetrack outside Riyadh with fans present is uncertain.

“It's hard to overstate the success of Saudi Cup 2020 when you consider that in year one of a brand-new international racing event, we attracted some of the very best horses, trainers and jockeys in the world,” he said.

“We witnessed 22 individual Group or Grade 1 winners, who had accumulated an impressive 34 wins at that level between them. That would be an excellent statistic for even the most well-established race meetings in the world, let alone to have that calibre in year one.

“The only unknown factor is what is happening with COVID-19. We are quite confident this event will run very smoothly. The big question mark is will the global situation allow for spectators to come and enjoy this event or will it be a made for TV event and that is something none of us can answer at this point. We will take direction from the health authorities and go from there.”

Next year's card will remain an eight-race event with the Saudi Derby, the 3-year-old only dirt race in which Japan's Full Flat beat the subsequent French Derby winner Mishriff, the chief beneficiary of the purse increases, its value rising to $1.5 million from $800,000.

The International Jockeys Challenge, held the Friday before Saudi Cup, in which Lisa Allpress became the first woman to win a race in Saudi Arabia in 2020, will again feature 14 of the world's best jockeys, seven women, five international men and two Saudi-based jockeys, compete for a championship purse of $100,000 and 15 percent of prize money.

According to Prince Bandar there were now four women trainers operating in the kingdom and two female jockeys had started to ride on secondary tracks.

This article was originally published by Horse Racing Planet and is reprinted here with permission. Find more content like this at their website.

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Improbable’s Awesome Again Win Moves Him To The Front In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

A third straight Grade 1 victory has put Improbable in the driver's seat of the handicap ranks heading into the November 7 Breeders' Cup Classic as the son of City Zip takes over the lead in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International, and SF Racing, Improbable moved to the forefront of the race for divisional honors when he captured the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes by 4 ½ lengths on Sept. 26. That victory earned the 4-year-old chestnut colt 28 first-place votes and 354 points in the poll, knocking his stablemate Maximum Security out of the top spot.

Since opening his 2020 campaign with a runner-up finish in the April 11 Oaklawn Mile Stakes, Improbable has reeled off top-level wins in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Whitney, and Awesome Again Stakes.

“Improbable is getting really good,” Baffert told the Santa Anita Park publicity team on Sunday. “He's got a lot of Grade 1s on his resume, he's filled out, matured, and Drayden (Van Dyke) rode a great race, just sat back there early on.”

Champion Maximum Security finished second in the Awesome Again Stakes, halting a six-race win streak. The 4-year-old bay colt dropped to second overall in the poll with 3 first-place votes and 277 points.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma (3 first-place votes, 246 points) is third followed by Tom's d'Etat (2 first-place votes, 228 points) and champion Monomoy Girl (1 first-place vote, 195 points).

Multiple graded stakes winner By My Standards remains sixth with 153 points followed by champion Midnight Bisou (139 points) and Tiz the Law (108). Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (99 points) and multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall (71) round out the top 10.

Authentic, who is also trained by Baffert, continues to head up the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll ahead of his expected run in the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The son of Into Mischief notched 23 first-place votes and 356 points this week and was installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Preakness.

Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law continues to hold in second with 14 first-place votes and 347 points while Grade 2 winner Art Collector – the 5-2 second choice on the Preakness morning line – remains in third with 269 points.

Kentucky Oaks runner-up and Preakness entrant Swiss Skydiver moves up one spot to fourth with 176 points followed by the recently retired Honor A. P. (162 points) and Thousand Words (149).

Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil sits seventh with 116 points with Preakness entrant Max Player (96 points) in eighth. Grade 1 winner Gamine (90 points) and Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Mr. Big News (62) complete the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top Three-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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Baffert: Improbable ‘Getting Really Good’ While Maximum Security ‘Didn’t Bring His ‘A’ Game’

It was business as usual for Bob Baffert Sunday morning at Santa Anita after the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer savored victories on Saturday by undefeated Princess Noor and relatively unsung Improbable in Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races at the Arcadia, Calif., track.

Princess Noor proved convincingly she can handle two turns, giving Baffert a record 12th triumph in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, while Improbable rallied from last to capture the G1 Awesome Again Stakes, vanquishing stablemate and odds-on favorite Maximum Security in the process.

“You're never sure about going two turns, and she was stuck behind horses coming out of the one hole, but she came out of the race really well,” Baffert said of Princess Noor, a $1,350,000 purchase owned by Saudi businessman Amr Zedan who campaigns as Zedan Racing

“She's still doing her thing and it looks like two turns is not going to be a problem for her,” Baffert added.

Princess Noor will likely be the favorite for the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Nov. 6.

Improbable and Maximum Security are likely headed to the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7, Improbable earning a fees-paid berth with his Awesome Again victory and Maximum Security winning a similar spot through his triumph in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

“Improbable and Max came out really well. I knew there was going to be a lot of pace, and we were going to sit off of it and then let Max run, but he was in between Midcourt and they were just bumping the whole way down the backside.

“They were in a full drive from the half-mile pole, but he didn't bring his A game, and Improbable is getting really good. He's got a lot of Grade 1's on his resume, he's filled out, matured, and Drayden (Van Dyke) rode a great race, just sat back there early on.

“He saw what was happening up front and let them go.”

Next up for Baffert is Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. Thousand Words worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 Saturday at Churchill Downs towards that goal while Kentucky Derby winner Authentic works there Monday.

“As long as Authentic works good, both horses will ship to Maryland on Tuesday,” Baffert said.

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The Week in Review: Clout Heading into Classic, Older Horses or Upstart Sophs?

We’re now inside the six-week mark for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. Is your money on an older horse winning the season-capping dirt route championship race or one of the 3-year-olds?

Both divisions have a respectable upper crust of candidates. Neither age group has a dominant, standout star who towers over his peers.

Improbable (City Zip)’s last-to-first, 4 1/2-length shakedown of the GI Awesome Again S. field at Santa Anita this past Saturday nudged him into tepid early favoritism for the Classic. The Oct. 10 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park looms as the final Grade I dirt route for males prior to the Breeders’ Cup. But this season, the pandemic has given us the unique plot twist of the GI Preakness S. falling five weeks out from the Nov. 7 Classic, and Saturday’s concluding Triple Crown event will likely be the more impactful race of the two in sorting out the pecking order for the Breeders’ Cup.

Older horses have won 24 previous Classics; sophomores 12. In the 21st Century alone, the 2:1 ratio is roughly the same (14-6). Older horses have won the last three Classics (Vino Rosso, Accelerate, Gun Runner). But the three years prior to that were swept by a Bob Baffert-trained soph power trio (Bayern, American Pharoah, Arrogate).

So let’s start with Baffert first, because this year he’s holding a balanced hand of both older horses and 3-year-old threats for the Classic.

Baffert trainees ran one-two in the Awesome Again, with 9-5 second choice Improbable benefitting from an ideal speed setup that involved stablemate Maximum Security (New Year’s Day), the 1-2 favorite, committing to prominent placement behind a 59-1 pacemaker. ‘Max’ was always under pressure and sandwiched between horses while bumping and grinding in stalk mode for most of the trip. But he clearly did not have the requisite gear in reserve to put up a serious stretch battle when confronted by Improbable’s quarter-pole surge.

Improbable has now won three straight Grade I routes with triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in each, and this colt appears to be rounding into form akin to what bettors envisioned when they sent him postward as the 4-1 chalk in last year’s GI Kentucky Derby. He was moved up to fourth in the wake of Maximum Security’s controversial DQ that day, and has since overcome habitual unruliness in the starting gate to blossom over nine and 10 furlongs after attempts to campaign as a miler didn’t pan out.

But Improbable hitting the road for the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland might be a different proposition than the Improbable who relishes his home track at Santa Anita. He’s 3-for-4 there lifetime, and Baffert said post-race Saturday that, “This horse loves this track. He seems to be better in the gate here. That’s why we ran him here. Elliott Walden [the president and CEO of Win Star Farm, a co-owner of the colt], it was his idea to keep him here because we don’t have to ship.”

While Maximum Security (10-for-13 lifetime) didn’t win, he was hardly disgraced in defeat. The colt is now three races into what is widely considered the second phase of his career, and the closely watched line of demarcation for this $16,000 maiden-claimer turned 3-year-old champ is his March transfer out of the barn of trainer Jason Servis, who is facing federal charges for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs on racehorses.

The feds have Servis recorded via wiretap allegedly discussing (among other things) a 2019 doping regimen for Max, so his performance at age four is unquestionably being viewed through the prism of how much of his past prowess was attributable to illicit pharmaceuticals.

The verdict so far since moving into Baffert’s barn? Yes, Maximum Security has two wins and a second from three graded stakes starts in SoCal. But his far-turn blast-offs don’t ripple with the same raw, kinetic energy that Max flashed so brilliantly at age three. The visual impression he leaves now is of a hard-trying horse who still sustains a high cruising speed without backing away from fights–yet absent the palpable swagger and spark that once enabled him to swat away late-race attacks from A-level competition with ease.

On the sophomore side, Baffert also conditions Kentucky Derby victor and Preakness favorite Authentic (Into Mischief), who picked an ideal time to mature from a colt who had focusing issues into a front-running force capable of carrying his speed over 10 furlongs. Baffert will also send out Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Preakness. That million-dollar KEESEP colt was a late Derby scratch after flipping in the Churchill Downs paddock, and he resonates on paper as the quintessential “other” Baffert dark horse who could go off at a juicy Preakness price with all of the attention focused on Authentic.

Art Collector (Bernardini) figured to be the second favorite in the Derby before being forced to scratch the week of the race with a minor foot injury. He should emerge as the second favorite in the Preakness betting behind Authentic, and having the extra time between his last prep (an Aug. 9 win in the Ellis Park Derby) and the concluding jewel of the Triple Crown could end up working out in his favor for both the Preakness and beyond. Looking ahead to the Classic over the Keeneland surface, it’s worth noting that one of the best races in Art Collector’s past-performance block is his GII Toyota Blue Grass S. win there July 11.

Of course, the top 3-year-old Classic threat from an overall body of work standpoint remains Tiz the Law (Constitution). Even though he ran second in the Derby behind Authentic, ‘Tiz’ hardly ran a losing race–he sat a perfect stalking trip and uncoiled on cue, but genuinely seemed surprised when Authentic slugged back at him with ferocity in their stretch brawl. Trainer Barclay Tagg opted out of the Preakness to instead aim for the Classic, and he’ll head to Keeneland with a mature, confident aggressor who carries himself with panache and knows how to make his own breaks.

Other older-horse Classic candidates include Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike), who won four straight stakes before losing to Improbable in the GI Whitney S.; Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), who is expected for Saturday’s GII Kelso H. at Belmont, and By My Standards (Goldencents), who has a 4-2-0 record from six starts this year with three Grade II wins going long.

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