Trainer Jimmy Jerkens, who relocated to Saudi Arabia earlier this year to take up a position as private trainer to Prince Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud, was represented by his first winner when Honky Tonk Man (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) won a 1400-meter allowance Saturday afternoon at King Khalid Racecourse in Ta'if, about 500 miles southwest of Riyadh.
Ridden by former U.S.-based jockey Wigberto Ramos from gate 16, Honky Tonk Man–who was second to fellow American-bred Chiefdom (The Factor) when becoming Jerkens's first runner in a 0-90 handicap July 15–raced with the leading group and edged forward to contend for the lead with about a half-mile to race. Matching strides into the stretch in a rematch with Chiefdom Saturday, Honky Tonk Man began to get the upper hand inside the final furlong and went on to score by 1 1/2 lengths (see below, SC 16).
“It is, I must admit, it's a little bit of breathing room for a little while,” a relieved Jerkens told the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia's Shamela Hanley. “He ran a winning race last time. The others we've run since then haven't fared as well, they just didn't get enough out of their works in the morning to be fit enough. But he's a light, little horse, kind of a natural athlete and he was getting over the track better than the majority of my horses, so I was fairly confident in him.”
A winner of two of nine starts in England for trainers Harry and Roger Charlton, Honky Tonk Man was purchased by Najd Stud for 150,000gns ($177,654) at last year's Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, an increasingly important source of bloodstock for jurisdictions in the Middle East. He was unplaced in a pair of starts at King Abdulaziz Racecourse last January and February before being transferred to Jerkens.
Jimmy Jerkens arrived in Saudi Arabia to embark on a new and very different chapter in his training career two months ago and what he's learned so far is that the learning curve is steeper than he had imagined. From the language to the culture to the racing itself, everything is different. He believes he will find his way, but has come to understand that it may take some time.
Jerkens sent out his first starter on July 15 and finished second with a horse named Honky Tonk Man (Tamayuz). He's had three runners since and the best showing among them was an eleventh-place finish.
“To be honest with you, I'm not crazy about how things started out over here,” Jerkens said.
After going out on his own in 1997 after serving as an assistant to his father, Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, Jerkens soon developed a reputation as one of the best trainers on the NYRA circuit. He won 846 races, had a winning rate of 20 percent and sent out 78 graded stakes winners. But, somehow, over the years, Jerkens fell out of favor and his career went into a nosedive. He won just four races in 2022 and had just two winners this year through May. He knew he had to do something and when Prince Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud offered to hire him and give him 50 horses to train in Saudi Arabia, Jerkens was in no position to say no.
“I love New York racing,” he said. “I just wasn't making any headway. I had a good two, three years where I was not able to make it. I had some very good years in the past, but you have to keep it up to make a living. I had two, three bad years and it just killed me. It got to where I didn't want to get into a deeper hole. I figured I had to do something. So I chose this.”
He arrived in Saudi Arabia on May 22 and set up shop at King Khalid Racecourse, which is in the town of Ta'if. The Saudi racing circuit heads there every summer before returning to King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh for an October to March run.
There are so many horses in Ta'if that, in order to accommodate all the stables, the track opens for training at two in the morning. Jerkens said he usually gets there at 2:30. Training ends at 8, but the track reopens for training at 2 in the afternoon and stays open until 6.
But it's not the long hours that have given Jerkens problems. He said the track is unlike anything he's ever encountered in the U.S., so deep that in the seven-furlong race in which Honky Tonk Man finished second the winning time was 1:29.25. He's still trying to figure out the best way to prepare a horse to run over a track that is that tiring.
“The track is ultra, ultra slow,” he said. “It's unlike anything I've ever seen. It's really slow and cuppy and having it that way seems to be a tradition. Most horses need a start or two over it to do their best. The three I've run since the first one acted like they really needed the race bad. These horses don't gallop out 50 yards past the finish line. The jocks are getting the tack off of them in five seconds. The groom better be right there. It's so tiring horses don't have anything left for a gallop out. Who I am I to complain? I'm Johnny Come Lately. You try to get your horse ready for a race but at same time you don't want to go overboard. You don't want to work your horse 100 times just to have them ready to run one time. You try to save your horses for Riyadh. It's a fine line and it takes some figuring.”
He's also finding it difficult to deal with what he says is a lack of information.
“The biggest adjustment is the lack of information on the horses,” he said. “You are so used to looking at pp's and seeing everything right in front of you. There's no published workouts. They have charts but they're not detailed where you can tell where they were earlier in the race. People who work for me, they know who the speed in a race is just by memorizing the horses. Even on my own horses, I can't get good information on them. You'd like to see their past races, their past performances, like we have back home. It's just not like that. It's very frustrating. I want to know who I am running against. I want to know how they've been working. I want to know everything about them. You just don't have that. That's hard to get used to.”
While he's still trying to learn more about the competition, he's already discovered that the quality of the horses in Saudi Arabia is better than he had expected.
“This racing is a lot better than it used to be,” he said. “My owner used to have all the best horses. Now a lot of people have caught up. You wouldn't believe some of the pedigrees they have. There's a lot of Into Mischiefs. In one race we ran against a horse who is by War Front out of Lady Eli. You see a lot of American influence in the pedigrees. It's a lot tougher, a lot more competitive than it used to be.”
Jerkens had hoped that he would be joined in Saudi Arabia by his wife, Shirley, who works for the New York State Department of Education. But those plans have been put on hold because it doesn't appear that there are many employment opportunities for her in Saudi Arabia. The quiet nights at home are starting to get to him.
“I live in a nice little compound,” he said. “A South African trainer lives next door to me and we're pretty friendly. Outside of that, there's not much socializing. The compound is nowhere near as full as use to be. And there's no alcohol. You would like to have a nice glass of wine with your dinner every once in a while, but that's not happening. Outside of the horses, it's pretty lonely. I try to keep myself entertained with TV, the DVD player and by keeping up on the races back home. That's about it. Riyadh should be better. It's a lot more Americanized than it is here. It should be more interesting there. Everyone I work with has been supportive, but there's only so much they can do. It's taken a while to get used to the quietness.”
He signed a two-year contract. What will he do when it's over?
“Maybe things will go great and I'll renegotiate after two years,” he said. “I don't know. I have no idea.”
They race three days a week, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at Ta'if and Jerkens said he will have some more runners in the days ahead. A winner or two would no doubt pick up his spirits. He's a good trainer. He should win races. For now, though, it's a work in progress.
Veteran New York trainer Jimmy Jerkens, 64, whose stable has been slumping in recent years, has agreed to train in Saudi Arabia for Prince Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud. Jerkens said he will likely start his new job in Saudi Arabia in mid-May.
The Daily Racing Form's David Grening was first with the story.
Jerkens, the son of Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens, has been around the New York tracks for nearly 50 years. After working for his father as an assistant, he went out on his own in 1997. By 2000, he had established himself as a steady winner on the New York circuit who had the type of stock that could compete in stakes. He won 59 races in 2000, good for a 28 percent winning rate, and won six stakes. His numbers stayed relatively stable and in 2018 he won 38 races with stable earnings of $2,922,392. But his fortunes declined every year thereafter and in 2022 he won just four races and had earnings of $365,995 .
“We've just been just existing the last three or four years,” he said. “It got to where I was losing money. This is a hard thing to do, seven days a week, when you're going nowhere.”
Jerkens trained 11 different horses that won Grade I races, including Quality Road (Elusive Quality). He won the GI Florida Derby with Quality Road, who was eventually turned over to trainer Todd Pletcher. Some of his other major wins came in the GI Woodward S., a race he won twice, the GI Santa Anita H., the Queen's Plate, the GI Metropolitan H., the GI Breeders' Cup Mile and the GI Travers S.
“I never had a big stable but I was always lucky to get a lot of good ones,” Jerkens said.
He blames himself for his career heading off in the wrong direction.
“It's probably my fault,” he said. “The game started changing and I probably wasn't proactive enough in keeping the stable going. I got entrenched in my father's era. Back then you could get a reputation of being thorough and doing a good job and you could sit back and the horses would come to you. You did the best you could. It's a different game now. You have to be proactive, you have to go to sales, you have to be on social media. I was never built like that. I never adapted and I'm paying the price.”
Jerkens said it was jockey agent Ron Anderson who recommended him to Prince Faisal. Jerkens left for Saudi Arabia on April 9 and spent five days there meeting with the Prince and his advisors.
“I wasn't interested at first but the more I thought about it it seemed to be an opportunity to get some nice stock to train and not have to worry about the bills and everything else.” he said. “You go over there and all you have to worry about is the training. You get your percentage, you can get bonuses, you can accomplish some nice things with some nice horses. So I bit the bullet and decided to go.
“Everyone I talked to, the Prince, his advisors, they couldn't have been any nicer. They made me feel comfortable, especially the Prince. He's got the warmest, kindest face you could imagine. You felt really at ease around him.”
Jerkens has signed a two-year contract and expects to have about 50 horses under his care. He added that the possibility of Prince Faisal opening a stable in the U.S. has been discussed and, if that happens, Jerkens would likely return to the U.S. to train them.
“That's the most appealing part of this.” he said. “It would be wonderful to be able to do that.”
He said he still has a lot to learn about his new horses, but, so far, he has been impressed.
“The pedigrees are good and they look the part,” he said. “I was really impressed with their condition. They looked really good and had good muscle tone. I didn't know what to expect when they started pulling them out. But I was really impressed with how they looked.”
Going into Saturday's Saudi Cup meeting at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, there was approximately one way that this year's results could better the massive success achieved by Japan in 2022. And who better to orchestrate it but trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who has won major races everywhere with the possible exception of Mars, as Hiroo Race Co. Ltd's Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), one of six top-shelf gallopers signed on from the Land of the Rising Sun and making just the second start of an already successful career on the dirt, led from flagfall to finish for a maiden Japanese victory in the world's richest horse race.
Following Wednesday's post position draw, Yahagi declared himself pleased enough with having been assigned the one hole, saying simply, 'gotta go.' And jockey Yutaka Yoshida followed the script to a 'T', kicking the entire straight into the lead, as G1 Satsuki Sho hero Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong), an unknown commodity on the dirt, raced closest in attendance to the pace, while 'TDN Rising Star'Taiba (Gun Runner) was pulled out wide to stalk that pair. Traveling like a seasoned main-track horse while racing a few paths off the rail into the turn, Panthalassa skipped along comfortably and hit the quarter pole with a clear advantage over Geoglyph. By this stage, Taiba had hoisted the white flag, and at one point with about a quarter mile to the finish, the top four spots were occupied by the Japanese. Geoglyph boxed on very gamely and dual G1 February S. hero Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) loomed a brief threat between rivals after being steered down the inside 800 metres out by Joao Moreira, but Panthalassa kept finding and was home narrowly best.
Country Grammer (Tonalist) was trapped out about five wide for much of the journey, and he looked to be struggling beneath Frankie Dettori as the field hit the final three furlongs. But in a manner similar to last year's G1 Dubai World Cup, he found his second wind and rattled home down the centre of the track to set him up beautifully for a return trip to Meydan next month. He was also second to Emblem Road (Quality Road) in last year's race.
“At the top of the straight, I thought, 'Oh god, I'm going to finish sixth' but he just has too much heart,” Dettori said. “He wants a mile and a quarter [2000m]. Super result.”
Cafe Pharoah edged Geoglyph for third, completing a 6-year-old trifecta, while Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) made for a 1-3-4-5 finish for Japan. These winning connections also celebrated the 1351 Turf Sprint with Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}).
“Mr Yahagi said to me to ride my race and I would get a good result,” commented the 47-year-old Yoshida, who was in the saddle for Panthalassa's dead-heat victory in last year's G1 Dubai Turf. “So, I didn't think about the surface. I just rode my race and thought if he adapts to the track, it would be all right. Of course, they were coming for me in the straight, but Panthalassa always found another gear and so I kept riding. It is an unforgettable moment and I am very happy to have ridden the winner.”
Yahagi added: “I really can't believe it. I don't know if it is real at the moment. I think I was correct that my feeling was right that he could handle the dirt. You know this is not easy. Japanese racing tries everything to improve and develop. Japanese horse racing has become more international. Of course, this is the best feeling as the prize-money is the best!”
Yahagi's international conquests are now well-documented, but bear repeating. Having sent out Deep Brillante (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to win the 2012 G1 Tokyo Yushun at home, Yahagi saddled Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to victory in the 2016 Dubai Turf. In 2019, Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) gave the stable a memorable success in the G1 Cox Plate in Melbourne, while in 2021, Real Steel's full-sister Loves Only You (Jpn) won a pair of Group 1s in Hong Kong and was one of two landmark winners for Yahagi and Japan at that year's Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar. At last year's Saudi Cup meeting, he added the G3 Longines Red Sea H. with Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), who would go on to take the G2 Dubai Gold Cup four weeks later in Dubai, one of three winners on the evening for Yahagi.
Victorious in the G2 Nakayama Kinen last February as a springboard to the Dubai Turf, Panthalassa found Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and–likely–the 11 furlongs of the G1 Takarazuka Kinen a task too tall, finishing 11th in that June 26 test. Outgamed by the flashy Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) in August's G2 Sapporo Kinen over 2000 metres, the bay opened a lead of as many as 15 lengths in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Toyko Oct. 30 and fought on bravely into deep stretch before being reeled in by eventual Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). A well-bet 24-5 in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in December, he failed to produce anything close to his best and finished well down the field.
Pedigree Notes:
Panthalassa's Saudi Cup is yet another feather in the cap of the outstanding Lord Kanaloa, who has sired Group 1 winners over sprint trips (Danon Smash {Jpn}, Tagaloa {Aus}), going a mile (Stelvio {Jpn}, Danon Scorpion {Jpn}) and Classic winners (Horse of the Year and Filly Triple Crown heroine Almond Eye {Jpn} and Saturnalia {Jpn}) from just six crops of racing age. Panthalassa is the stallion's first Group 1 winner on dirt.
Panthalassa is one of five winners from eight to the races for his dam, a 50,000gns purchase by the BBA Ireland at Tattersalls October in 2003 who was twice third from seven trips to the races in Japan as a 3-year-old before being retired. Miss Pemberley, whose female family includes the likes of Croco Rouge (Ire) and Alidiva (Ire), has a 2-year-old colt by Kizuna (Jpn) and her last listed produce is a yearling colt by Rey de Oro (Jpn), a Tokyo Yushun-winning son of Lord Kanaloa's late sire King Kamehameha (Jpn).
Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia SAUDI CUP-G1, $20,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-25, 4yo/up, 1800m, 1:50.80, ft.
1–PANTHALASSA (JPN), 126, h, 6, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) 1st Dam: Miss Pemberley (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire) 2nd Dam: Stitching (Ire), by High Estate (Ire) 3rd Dam: Itching (Ire), by Thatching (Ire)
O-Hiroo Race Co Ltd; B-PANGLOSS Y K, Toshihiro Hirosaki et al; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yutaka Yoshida; $10,000,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, MGSW & G1SP-Jpn, 25-7-6-0, $14,418,903. *1/2 to Etendard (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $770,677; and Dimension (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), MGSP-Jpn, $1,030,766. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Country Grammer, 126, h, 6, Tonalist–Arabian Song, by Forestry. ($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR; $110,000 HRA '21 KEEJAN). O-Zedan Racing Stables, WinStar Farm & Commonwealth Thoroughbreds; B-Scott & Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Frankie Dettori; $3,500,000.
3–Cafe Pharoah, 126, h, 6, American Pharoah–Mary's Follies, by More Than Ready. ($475,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Koichi Nishikawa; B-Paul P Pompa (KY); T-Noriyuki Hori; J-Joao Moreira; $2,000,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, HD. Odds: 15-1, 7-2, 14-1.
Also Ran: Geoglyph (Jpn), Crown Pride (Jpn), Emblem Road, Jun Light Bolt (Jpn), Taiba, Remorse (Ire), Lagertha Rhyme (Ire), Vin de Garde (Jpn), Sunset Flash (Ire), Scotland Yard.
