Tag: saudi cup

Senor Campeon! Senor Buscador Takes A Dramatic Saudi Cup

After running home bravely to just miss reeling in National Treasure (Quality Road) in last month's $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., it did not take long for the human braintrust around Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) to accept an invitation to the world's richest race, the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup half a world away.

And why not?

The 6-year-old admittedly had a bit to find on form with each of his four fellow American participants, but it wasn't as if he'd been dreadful in defeat in those efforts. Not when a running-on seventh behind White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Not when runner-up to loose-on-the-lead Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) in the GII Cigar Mile H., and certainly not in the Pegasus. He drew a nice gate in four at Wednesday's post position draw and, on paper at least, the Saudi Cup race flow seemed to favor horses capable of switching off early and saving their best for a final-furlong flurry. The pace got hot, as predicted, and Senor Buscador–who was racing over the 13th different racetrack in the 18th start of his career–took full advantage, running down reigning G1 Dubai World Cup hero Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and a brave pacesetter in the form of the locally owned Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), capping a brilliant and often-thrilling evening of racing in the Saudi capital.

Senor Buscador, who carried the silks of local owner Sharaf Mohammed Al Hariri in a deal brokered with joint-owner Joe Peacock, Jr. in time for this race, was allowed to find his stride and raced in the company of the slow-starting Ushba Tesoro at the back of the field, as Saudi Crown showed the way and was kept honest by National Treasure, Hoist the Gold and King's Cup winner Power in Numbers (Girvin) deep on the track. White Abarrio, making his first start since defeating Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) at Santa Anita, was well-spotted behind the leaders and just to the outside of the UAE galloper Isolate (Mark Valeski).

From a virtual standing start, the first 400 meters were posted in :23.80 and the 800-meter split of :46.01 would have had the back markers licking their lips. Saudi Crown took the field into the turn and looked to be going much better than National Treasure, who was now vigorously ridden by Flavien Prat, and in the meantime, Ushba Tesoro had gotten the jump on Senor Buscador entering the final three furlongs. Having survived the the pace battle, it was time to win the war, and Saudi Crown went for home, but Ushba Tesoro and Senor Buscador were beginning to do their best work and began to chip away at the deficit. Saudi Crown held the call deep into the final 100 meters, and Ushba Tesoro speared through looking the winner, but Junior Alvarado conjured up one final surge from Senor Buscador, a move that failed at Gulfstream four weeks ago, but one that was worth $10 million this time around.

The final time of 1:49.50 established a new stakes record, just betting the mark of 1:49.59 set by Mishriff (GB) (Make Believe {GB}) in 2021.

“We got a bit unlucky the last two races on the track, very fast with speed horses, and I never like to change the style of horses,” said Alvarado. “I always had faith in the horse and we just needed, not even luck, just a fair track and I knew we would get that today. I'm very happy, very grateful for opportunities that come along.”

Added co-owner and breeder Joe Peacock, Jr.: “The one-turn mile and eighth [1800m] was right up his alley and a track that played fair. We can make excuses for him, he puts himself in that position getting dirt in his face but he sure tries to overcome it every time.

“A couple of weeks before the Pegasus we thought of The Saudi Cup. I was so adamant he would prove himself and he has. This ranks up there. This was big. We were excited about the opportunity. We felt the horse deserved the opportunity. It's amazing.”

Winning conditioner Todd Fincher indicated this year's World Cup about 600 miles of desert to the east in 35 days would be next, but that they will 'leave it up to the horse.'

White Abarrio failed to capitalize on his good trip and weakened out to finish 11th.

“Beautiful trip,” was the succinct post-mortem from Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Fincher's Crowning Moment

According to a story from the TDN's J. N. Campbell, Todd Fincher was born to a family of horsepeople in Denver, Colorado, and became a jockey, amassing better than $2 million in earnings. But he outgrew the saddle by 1997 and took out his training license in the following year–according to Equibase statistics, his runners earned $18,199 that year and about $700,000 over the next four seasons, but the fire had been lit.

Since 2009, the New Mexico-based outfit has never earned less than $1.4 million, and with the likes of Senor Buscador's GIII Sunland Park Derby-winning half-brother Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper)–now a stallion in New Mexico–and Slammed (Marking) representing the stable in recent years, posted earnings north of $5.5 million in 2023. That topped his previous best of $4.5 million from 2022, when both Slammed and Senor Buscador competed in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.

And now–a $10-million payday thousands of miles from the Land of Enchantment.

“I'm about to cry, it's amazing,” Fincher said. “He never got the credit he deserved and he finally got to show it today. I didn't believe it, as something always happens to him in every race. He always has 10 or 11 horses to weave in and out of. We know he was going to run good, we just had to hope for the right set up. It's awesome.

“From New Mexico, we don't have the quality of horses very often but the stable is getting better now and they treated us great over here. I'm very excited about the opportunity and getting it done is unbelievable.”

Pedigree Notes:

At the age of 25, Lane's End's Mineshaft was being represented by his eighth Grade I winner, while Senor Buscador is the first elite-level scorer for Desert God (Fappiano), a son of Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom {Fr}), making him a half-brother to four stakes winners, including Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister). A mating between Mineshaft's late, great sire A.P. Indy and Better Than Honour resulted in GI Belmont S. winner Rags To Riches and her GII Peter Pan S.-winning and Group 1-placed close relative Casino Drive was also by Mineshaft.

Senor Buscador is the most accomplished foal from his remarkable dam, trained by Fincher for Joe Peacock, Sr. to no fewer than seven stakes wins at Sunland and Zia Park.

Rose's Desert is also the dam of the 3-year-old filly Aye Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), victorious in her lone racetrack appearance at Zia Park last November, the 2-year-old filly Rose A (Hard Spun) and the yearling colt The Hell We Did (Authentic). She most recently visited the latter's sire Into Mischief.

What They're Saying

Yuga Kawada, jockey, Ushba Tesoro, second: “He was in good form and travelled nicely. He showed his run. The only thing he didn't do is win.”

Florent Geroux, Saudi Crown, third: “It was very comfortable up front, I was surprised. It was too far for him. He ran a big race. Obviously, he ran too hard to get beat. He did all the dirty work and I just got caught in the last 100m. Beautiful race.”

Flavien Prat, National Treasure, fourth: “I had a good trip and I thought he ran a good race. I was not travelling as well as last time. I think he ran hard last time, but still I'm very proud of him.”

Christophe Lemaire, Derma Sotogake, fifth: “With this number in the stalls, the horse didn't leave that quick. I could get a position on the inside and didn't lose any ground and the horse made good progress. I was at the back of the leaders in the final straight and I thought I could come with a big run to win, but this was a reappearance and he just couldn't finish it.”

Joel Rosario, Isolate, sixth: “Very good, he was in a good spot but he got a little tired in the end.”

Luis Saez, Defunded, seventh: “Broke well, he was in the right spot, but no horse to finish.”

Joao Moreira, Crown Pride, ninth: “He travelled very nice the first half of the race and all of a sudden he came off and he kept running, but he didn't bring his A-game.”

Camilo Ospina, Carmel Road, 11th: “He was wide from gate 14 but it was a very tough race.”

Adel Alfouraidi, Power In Numbers, 13th: “Very hard for him.”

John Velazquez, Hoist The Gold, 14th: “He broke well, but he didn't show up today.”

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
SAUDI CUP-G1, $20,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-24, NH4yo/up, SH3yo/up, 1800m, 1:49.50, ft.
1–SENOR BUSCADOR, 126, h, 6, by Mineshaft
1st Dam: Rose's Desert (MSW, $626,035), by Desert God
2nd Dam: Miss Glen Rose, by Peaks and Valleys
3rd Dam: Snippet, by Alysheba
O-Sharaf Mohammed Al Hariri & Joe R Peacock Jr; B-Joe Peacock Sr & Joe Peacock Jr (KY); T-Todd W Fincher; J-Junior Alvarado; $10,000,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW & MGISP-US, 18-7-2-2, $11,496,427. *1/2 to Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper), GSW, $783,509; Sheriff Brown (Curlin), MSW, $603,681; and Our Iris Rose (Ghostzapper), SW, $307,880. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ushba Tesoro (Jpn), 126, h, 7, Orfevre (Jpn)–Millefeui Attach (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). (¥25,000,000 Wlg '17 JRHAJUL). O-Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co Ltd; B-Chiyoda Farm Shizunai; T-Noburu Takagi; J-Yuga Kawada; $3,500,000.
3–Saudi Crown, 126, h, 4, Always Dreaming–New Narration, by Tapit. ($45,000 Ylg '21 KEEJAN; $240,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-FMQ Stables; B-CHC Inc (KY); T-Brad Cox; J-Florent Geroux; $2,000,000.
Margins: HD, 3/4, 3/4.
Also Ran: National Treasure, Derma Sotogake (Jpn), Isolate, Defunded, Scotland Yard, Crown Pride (Jpn), White Abarrio, Carmel Road, Lemon Pop, Power in Numbers, Hoist the Gold.
Click for the JCSA chart (R9).

 

 

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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.”

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Sir Alex Ferguson Eyes Another Big Prize for Spirit Dancer

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has long been a racehorse owner but he has also become immersed in the breeding world since his retirement from football.

On Saturday, his homebred Spirit Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who Ferguson races in partnership with Ged Mason and bookmaker Fred Done, lines up in the $2 million G2 Howden Neom Turf Cup on the Saudi Cup undercard. The seven-year-old, trained by Richard Fahey, has been wintering in the Middle East, where he won the G2 Bahrain International Trophy in November before finishing fourth in the G1 Jebel Hatta in Dubai last month. 

“One of the great advantages of having a really good horse is international racing. We never dreamed, when I bred Spirit Dancer, that he would end up getting as far as this,” Ferguson told Saudi Cup presenter Martin Kelly when trackside in Riyadh on Thursday morning.

“We're so excited about it and after Bahrain we are quite optimistic.

“He had a little problem when he was three years of age, he got over that and he's just got better and better. He's not had a lot of racing. That's what Richard keeps saying, that he can race a lot more than he's been doing. So we're getting the benefit.

“The international element is something we didn't expect. I'd been to Dubai some years back and I was saying to myself I wonder what it's like to have a horse involved in it – now we've got one, I'm enjoying it.”

He added of his involvement in racing, “It was round about 1995 that I remember my wife saying I was going to kill myself because my whole day was absorbed with the [football] club.

“One day, I said to my wife 'shall we go to the races?'. She asked where that had come from and I told her it was her who said I needed to start doing something else. We were at the races one day when I met John Mulhern and Dessie Scahill and I got hooked.”

Ferguson bought Spirit Dancer's dam Queen's Dream (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from trainer and breeder Andreas Wohler, who had suggested that he should get involved with breeding. He keeps his mares at stud in Hertfordshire and divulged to Kelly that he has recently welcomed a foal from the first crop of Stradivarius (Ire). 

Fahey, who has trained Spirit Dancer to seven victories from his 24 starts, including last year's G3 Strensall S. at York, said of the horse's preparation ahead of Saturday, “He needed the run in Dubai last month and he has been training well since then. He did a very nice piece of work there last week. We'll have no excuses for him in terms of his preparation.”

Among Spirit Dancer's 12 rivals in the Neom Turf Cup is the treble Group 1 winner Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot (GB)}), representing the Cooolmore team.

“Everyone's very excited to see him. He's a big, powerful, long-striding horse. A good, scopey horse, with a good mind and very sound,” said his trainer Aidan O'Brien. 

“We think we haven't seen the best of him yet, all through this year and next year he's going to be a horse to really look forward to.

“He's big with a long stride and often those types of horses take until four or five to really become strong enough to use their stride.”

O'Brien will also saddle Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a brother to the Irish Derby and St Leger winner Capri (Ire), for the Red Sea Turf Handicap. The four-year-old was twice a winner last term and narrowly missed out on victory in the G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket when beaten a head in second before running fourth in the St Leger.

“He's been off a good while and he's carrying a little bit of weight, but he's been working very well,” said the trainer.

“We always thought the trip would suit him well and this type of race would suit him well. He has plenty of weight but he's a classy horse, we think that ridden a little bit patiently and gently we will see a very big run from him.”

 

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Defunded Owner Hopes to Reward Horse’s Fans

In Saturday's $20-million Saudi Cup, two-time Grade I winner Defunded (Dialed In) will be running for more than his owner, Dr. Muhaideb Al Muhaideb's HDB Racing. Should the horse win the Saudi Cup, the owner will give away 2 million Saudi Riyals to fans who follow him on the X site @muhadb1. Two million Riyals is worth US$533,000. The money will be divided among four winners.

If Defunded doesn't win but a Saudi-based horse does, Dr. Muhaideb will give away two Lexus SUV to his followers. If a horse without a Saudi connection wins, the prize will be one Lexus.

Muhaideb has 59,500 followers on X.

“Dr. Muhaideb is overwhelmed with excitement to be competing in the richest race in the world with his first horse as an owner,” said Muhaideb's stable manager Khalid Mishref. “He feels extremely honored to be representing Saudi Arabia on this world stage. Because of this he feels compelled to share this experience with the Saudi people and all racing fans around the world. From this, the idea of having a group of prizes to be drawn from engaging on social media was born. Horse racing is deeply ingrained in the culture of the Saudi people and we feel the future of horse racing is bound to benefit from the rapid development of Saudi racing with the help of the Saudi government, Prince Bandar and his esteemed team at the Jockey Club.”

In late December it was announced that Defunded, who is a gelding, had been privately acquired from owners Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman by HDB Racing. Defunded left the U.S. on Dec. 17.

“Last year, Dr. Muhaideb Al Muhaideb entrusted me with the task of possibly securing a horse to compete in the 2024 Saudi Cup,” Mishref said. “With the assistance of Frankie O'Connor of Kildare Stud we managed to purchase Defunded for this mission.”

Defunded has not started since finishing second in the GI Awesome Again S. on Sept. 30 at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert. He won the Awesome Again in 2022 and picked up another Grade I win in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup in May. He has career earnings of $1,666,600.

Luis Saez will have the mount for the race.

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