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Asmussen Believes Midnight Bourbon Will ‘Put It All Together’ In Saudi Cup

American stars Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon will renew their rivalry in the $20 million Saudi Cup.

The pair clashed in last month's Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds when Mandaloun came out on top by three-quarters of a length.

Now they will go head-to-head again in the world's most valuable race, run over nine furlongs on the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The Louisiana Stakes was Mandaloun's first run since he was awarded the G1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in July when Hot Rod Charlie was disqualified for impeding Midnight Bourbon after passing the winning post a nose in front.

A setback prematurely ended the Kentucky Derby runner-up's 3-year-old season, and his trainer Brad Cox believes he is still improving ahead of his trip to Saudi for the world's most valuable fixture.

He said: “Mandaloun ran a really big race at Fair Grounds in the Louisiana Stakes. It was his first run in a while and he appears to have come out of it in great order – he had a good workout on Sunday morning.

“He seems to have moved forward from three to four. If he moves forward again, he's going to be tough in The Saudi Cup.

“I always thought he was a Grade 1 horse, so it was important for us and for Juddmonte to try to win a Grade 1 with him and add him to the stallion roster.

“Obviously, he was awarded the Grade 1 in the Haskell Stakes. Out of the Haskell he just wasn't quite right behind and we just gave him the time he needed.

“He's come back bigger and stronger. Florent (Geroux) rode him and he said as soon as he came back that he was a more polished horse mentally. That gives us a lot of confidence moving forward.

“I think the track will be fine. He's a horse who's capable of being where we need him to be in a race. He's able to adjust to the pace – if it's slow he can be up close, if it's fast he can sit off it.

“A one-turn mile-and-an-eighth (1800m) is not something we get much in America, Belmont is the only place, but I'm confident he'll be able to handle it.

“The Saudi Cup has not been around long but it's definitely grabbed the attention of the entire world. It's becoming a race on everyone's calendar and if we were capable of winning it for Juddmonte it would obviously mean a tremendous amount.”

Despite finishing behind Mandaloun in the Louisiana Stakes and last year's Kentucky Derby, when he endured a troubled passage, Midnight Bourbon's trainer Steve Asmussen has high hopes his stable star will finally claim his big-race victory.

The colt hasn't enjoyed much luck during his career. He unseated Paco Lopez when hampered as he made his challenge in the Haskell Stakes and his trainer believes the ability is there to be a champion.

Asmussen said: “He has an elite level of talent without finishing it off at this stage. He's not had the success his ability would allow but it also leaves a lot for us moving forward.

“He is still in a physical and mental development that I think allows for him to possibly end up being the best horse in training in the world this year.

“The only time he's missed the break in his life was in the Kentucky Derby which was won by a horse (Medina Spirit) he breaks next to in the Preakness and runs into the ground.

“It's one thing after another but it's there, it just needs to come together. I'm hoping beyond hope and expecting that he's waiting for The Saudi Cup stage to put it all together perfectly.”

Jockey Joel Rosario rode Midnight Bourbon in the Louisiana Stakes and he will keep the ride in the Group 1 Saudi Cup. He will need to reverse that form with Mandaloun but Asmussen believes last month's race will put the edge on his big race hope.

He said: “That was his prep for The Saudi Cup, not The Saudi Cup. He came out of it in better shape than he went into it. It was a very good exercise.

“I know from the preparation going into his last race, how he's come out of it and how he's worked since, that we are jumping forward.

“His numbers are very competitive with any horse in the world – the numbers being the speed he has attained. We just have to finish it off.

“He is considerably more mature in his approach to training than he has been in the past. He had a beautiful work on Sunday at Fair Grounds. He came out of it in great shape and he went back to the track very well on Tuesday morning.

“I will look for something a touch better, not significantly better, this coming Sunday. Then he will van from New Orleans to Palm Meadows and fly out from there.”

The American pair will attempt to wrestle The Saudi Cup crown from last year's winner Mishriff. He was reported to be in good shape ahead of the world's most valuable race by joint-trainer Thady Gosden on Tuesday.

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Bigger, Stronger Mishriff Ready To Defend His Saudi Cup Title

Mishriff is reported to be bigger and stronger by joint-trainer Thady Gosden as the star 5-year-old prepares to defend his $20 million Saudi Cup crown. Gosden oversaw his preparation for the world's most valuable race 12 months ago and he officially joined his father John on the training license soon after the historic defeat of top-class American hope Charlatan.

Mishriff, owned by His Royal Highness Prince A A Faisal, went on to win the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York last summer by an impressive six lengths.

If he wins the G1 Saudi Cup – run at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, Feb. 26 – he will become the highest-earning horse of all time.

Gosden said: “He's a year older, he's done a bit of growing so he's a little bigger. He's got a great athletic physique and he's definitely strengthened a bit from last year.

“He's a little flamboyant on occasions but he's very tough. He's incredibly versatile and he travels very well, he makes it all look quite easy. He's been training well.”

The defending champion is likely to face another strong American challenge in the shape of Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon, but Gosden believes the track is well suited to the European raiders.

He said: “The one turn makes a big difference, the longer straight is especially an advantage to the European horses.

“The American horses are used to using a lot of speed to get forward and then having a short straight to get home in.

“The surface is also a bit kinder – the kickback is not as bad. It rides a bit softer, a bit fluffier – it's a brilliant track.

“The Saudi Cup has obviously become a huge meeting on the international racing circuit. Everything runs very smoothly – the quarantine facilities are top class, the track is top class and we have no concerns with taking any horse out there.

“It's definitely something that will become a fixture for us if we have the right horses.”

The Gosden father-and-son training partnership could also be represented by Lord North in the Neom Turf Cup presented by Jahez. He could line up for the $1.5 million Group 3 contest on his first run since landing the Dubai Turf at Meydan in March.

Gosden added: “He had a bit of an issue so, being a horse of his caliber, we gave him all the time he needed. He's bouncing around the place now and I think he's pretty determined to get out there.”

Fellow British joint-trainers William Muir and Chris Grassick have opted for the Neom Turf Cup presented by Jahez for their stable star Pyledriver. They had also received an invitation to run in The Saudi Cup.

After watching Pyledriver work around Kempton on Tuesday morning, Muir revealed he thought the 2100m contest would suit the G1 Hong Kong Vase runner-up better.

He said: “We brought Pyledriver to Kempton to let him have a blow over the surface, so he's covering the distance.

“It was just getting him away from home for something different, a change of scenery to perk him up and keep him in good shape.

“Martin (Dwyer) got off him and said he's been riding horses all winter and to get on one like Pyledriver around there it felt like they broke the track record.

“I've got the others in the family and they all get stronger and stronger. He looks a monster now.

“He's strong and where he should be. I think this horse has everything in front of him – he's now at his peak so you'll see him at his best this year.”

The Lambourn-based trainer is expecting last year's Group 1 Coronation Cup hero to have improved for his Hong Kong experience last December and regular rider Dwyer will fly out to partner him again.

Muir added: “It was his first time out of this country. He never worried about anything but everyone said once he's done it once he'll thrive on it.

“It was just a few things we picked up from the boys that do it all the time, the little tips that help.”

Yorkshire-based trainer Mark Johnston and his son Charlie have had runners at The Saudi Cup meeting in each of the last two years. They will send Nayef Road to contest the G3 Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap this time.

The six-year-old warmed up for the $2.5 million race, run over 3000m, by finishing fourth at Kempton on Saturday.

Joint-trainer Charlie Johnston said: “Perhaps things weren't really run to suit – he was boxed-in in a slowly-run race.

“We gave him a break through November and December. It probably showed at Kempton as he was a little bit ring rusty and we'd be hopeful he'd come forward for that.

“I think the trip, fast ground and quite positive, verging on aggressive, riding leads to his best performances, as we saw when he won the Rose Bowl at Newmarket at the back end of last year.

“He's a relentless galloper and there should be no excuses regarding the conditions he's going to face over there.

“Given the money on offer in Saudi this is the priority for him – if you finish anywhere in the first six you can pick up significant prize money and we'll be looking to pick up some of it.”

Johnston already has one eye on a return to The Saudi Cup meeting in 2023 with Subjectivist. He was the impressive winner of the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last season before injury struck ruling him out until next year.

Johnston added: “It was a very tough decision we had to make – biting the bullet and leaving our best horse on the sidelines for this season, but we felt to give him the best chance of standing training going forward we would rule this season out.

“He'll come back into training in September with The Saudi Cup meeting of 2023 his primary target.”

There is also likely to be a strong challenge from France at the meeting.

Sealiway, winner of the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot in October, is on course for The Saudi Cup. It will be his first race since joining trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

He said: “He's very classy and he has a lot of personality. The first morning he came to me he was like 'I am the boss'.

“He's a tough horse and he can adapt very easily – adapt to the pace of the race and the ground. He's a nice horse to be around and it seems like he does everything very easily. My worry is, will he be ready as he does everything so easily?

“He was not over-raced last year and he came to me in very good shape. I'm very, very happy with the way he looks, the way he behaves and the way he works, so I'm keen to go.”

Ebaiyra will also be having her first run for Graffard, who is now combining running his own Chantilly yard with overseeing the private stables of the Aga Khan, if she makes it to The Neom Turf Cup presented by Jahez.

Graffard said: “She looks really well – so far everything is going right. She's due to work on Saturday morning and a decision will be made after that.”

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Saudi Cup The Perfect Swansong For Breeders’ Cup Distaff Winner Marche Lorraine

Leading Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi has revealed The Saudi Cup was the first thing on his mind when Marche Lorraine won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar last November.

Despite a possibility that the six-year-old mare would retire after her success in California, connections were keen to run one more time – and the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 26 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh will provide the setting for her send-off.

The Japanese superstar recently returned to full training ahead of her Saudi Cup mission and she will join some of the best dirt horses on the planet contesting the nine-furlong race.

Last year's winner Mishriff, Japan Champions Cup winner T O Keynes, and the highly-progressive US-trained Mandaloun are just a few of her potential rivals, with entries from America, Europe, South America and Asia.

Speaking about the decision to run in The Saudi Cup, Yahagi said: “It was immediately after the Breeders' Cup Distaff… I thought The Saudi Cup should be her next race if she ran one more time. There was a possibility that Marche Lorraine would retire after the Breeders' Cup.

“She needed to have a period to relieve fatigue and spent an easy time at the Shigaraki Branch of Northern Farm. She returned to my barn at Ritto Training Centre on Jan. 27.”

Three-time Japanese Champion Trainer, Yahagi, was surprised by Marche Lorraine's win in America, but hopes that she can run to that level again in Riyadh and achieve a similar send off to Loves Only You, who followed her Del Mar win with a triumphant final outing in the Hong Kong Cup.

He said: “With regard to the Filly & Mare Turf, I thought Loves Only You had enough ability to win the race, and I was deeply moved to become the first Japanese trainer to win a race at the Breeders' Cup. It was kind of a surprise – even for me – to watch Marche Lorraine win the Distaff to be frankly honest.

“First of all, I want her to complete the race safely, as she will be a mother soon. While I understand the competition is very tough, I hope she performs well enough, like at the Breeders' Cup.”

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Will Life Is Good and Flightline Meet? Maybe

It's not too early to lump Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in with some of the best horses of the modern era. That's how good he was Saturday at Gulfstream when he dominated over a field that included the soon-to-be-named 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. in what was nothing less than a sensational performance.

But is he even the best horse in training?

It's a rare and special time for horse racing, which has been blessed with not just one but two horses who appear to be generational talents who could go down as among the best that ever raced.

The other, of course, is Flightline (Tapit), the fabulously talented but lightly raced $1-million yearling buy whose effortless win in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. drew comparisons to superstars like Ghostzapper (Awesome Again). He was given a 118 Beyer in the Malibu win, better than Life Is Good's best figure, which is the 110 Beyer he picked up in the Pegasus.

Who's better? The debate has already begun, but it's a question that can only be answered on the racetrack. Unfortunately, the two aren't exactly on a collision course to meet.

Flightline returned to the work tab Sunday at Santa Anita. In his first work since Dec. 19, a week before the Malibu, he went four furlongs in 47.80. Afterward, trainer John Sadler told the Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman that Flightline would start next in the Mar. 5 GII San Carlos S. at seven furlongs. The next start after that will likely be the GI Metropolitan H. to be run June 11.

As for Life Is Good, his next start will likely come in the Mar. 26 G1 Dubai World Cup.

“We're going to huddle up this week and discuss it,” said Elliott Walden, the president and CEO of racing operations for WinStar Farm, the co-owner of Life Is Good. “He will not run in the Saudi Cup, back in four weeks. So, Dubai would be the next option. We're going to see how he comes back and then start to map out the whole year.”

So far as the Met Mile goes, Walden wouldn't rule it out, but said that, if Life Is Good is to run in Dubai, that may eliminate the Met Mile from consideration. The next spot that could bring Flightline and Life Is Good together is the GI Whitney S. Sadler has listed that as a possible start for Flightline and Walden said Sunday it is a race that is also under consideration for Life Is Good. If all else fails, there is always the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, a race both stars are pointing toward.

“It would be fabulous if those two were to meet,” Walden said. “It would be great for horse racing. I think it's more a question of when than if. We haven't ducked anybody. We said right after the Dirt Mile what we were planning on doing. We want to do right by our horse and I know John Sadler wants to do right by his horse. He's a tremendous trainer. At some point they will meet and it will be great for racing.”

Life Is Good made his first three starts for trainer Bob Baffert. When Baffert ran into problems with the New York Racing Association, which has been attempting to suspend him, Life Is Good was transferred to Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

“I can't think of a horse [I trained] better than him,” Pletcher said following the Pegasus.

“To me, Life Is Good is right up there with Justify,” Walden said. “Justify won the Triple Crown and was undefeated. Bob [Baffert] early on compared him to American Pharoah and Justify. You think about all of the good horses Bob has had and all the good horses Todd has had and it's pretty amazing to think he's in that elite company.”

Walden, a former trainer, sees in Life Is Good characteristics that set him apart from most every other horse.

“The thing that separates Life is Good from the rest of the good horses I've been around is the fact that he never had a bad day,” he said. “Most horses will have an average workout from time to time, even though they are a very good horses, or they might look flat. This horse has never had a bad day on the racetrack. That's something, the more I've been around and the more I see, that is a characteristic of the great ones.”

That Life Is Good, who was the 4-5 favorite under Irad Ortiz, Jr., won was hardly a surprise, but few could have imagined that he could have out-sprinted a horse as quick as Knicks Go and open up by 3 1/2 lengths on his rival. Walden said the plan was to do what it took to get the lead.

“That was the game plan,” Walden said. “I know people say that's hard to fathom that, but this horse was in front of Jackie's Warrior at Saratoga in the Allen Jerkens. Why wouldn't he be in front of Knicks Go? I know Knicks Go is a great horse and is a deserving champion, but I didn't have any doubt he could be up there with Knicks Go. I'm not saying I thought he'd be three or four lengths in front of him, but I never thought he'd take a back seat to his speed, just because of what happened at Saratoga. To be in front of Jackie's Warrior like he was, that showed the speed and athleticism that Life Is Good has.”

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