Scars Are Cool (Malibu Moon) won three of his 13 starts in the colors of Sagamore Farm and fetched $175,000 from Saudi Arabian interests during the Horses of Racing Age section of the Fasig-Tipton July Sale last summer. The Florida-bred was well-beaten behind the re-opposing Making Miracles (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the Crown Prince Cup over 2400 meters Dec. 26, but dropped back in trip and registered a 3/4-length victory in allowance company going a mile Jan. 15 (see below). Scars Are Cool has gate 16 in a field of 18.

The Khalid Mishrif Bin Shanan-owned Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) and Axelrod (Warrior's Reward) also landed double-digit posts in 11 and 14, respectively, as they attempt to earn their way into the Saudi Cup. Runner-up to Justify (Scat Daddy) in the 2018 GI Belmont S., Gronkowski ran Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) to a nose in the 2019 G1 Dubai World Cup and finished a distant 10th to Maximum Security (New Year's Day) in last year's Saudi Cup. He is unraced since. Axelrod, winner of the 2018 GIII Indiana Derby and GIII Smarty Jones S., was ninth in the 2019 World Cup and was last seen finishing runner-up in the G3 Burj Nahaar S. at Meydan last March.

Hallaaf (KSA) (Friends Lake) looks the best of the horses bred locally and exits a defeat of the commonly owned Persian Moon (Ire) (Makfi {GB}) in the King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Cup over course and distance Jan. 16.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup has a scheduled post time of 11 a.m. ET. Click here for live streaming.

WATCH: Scars Are Cool wins a Jan. 15 allowance in Riyadh

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It was the second start in Saudi Arabia for the 5-year-old, who was campaigned by Sagamore Farm when racing in the U.S. He was unplaced in a Dec. 26 race before winning Friday’s 1,600-meter event by three-quarters of a length. He broke his maiden in 2019 at Saratoga and came back to run in the GI Travers S. in his next start. He would go on to win allowance races at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream.

According to Tom Ryan, the director of strategy and international racing for the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, whether or not Scars Are Cool qualifies for the Saudi Cup may depend on what rating he gets from the local handicapper. The ratings for last week’s races will be released mid-week. He also has the option of trying to qualify for the race in a Jan. 30 prep, the G1 The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.

Lexington-based bloodstock agent Tom Clark signed the ticket at the Fasig-Tipton sale for Saudi-based breeder Ahmad Alabdullatif, an advisor to several Saudi racing operations. His new owner is Mohammed Omar I. Alsakran.

Clark said that the horse’s main selling point was his soundness.

“He was perfectly sound when we bought him,” he said. “That’s what drew us to him. He didn’t have a pimple on him. From the X-rays, you expect to see some wear and tear when they’ve raced for a little while, but there was no wear and tear on him at all.”

Clark said that the Saudis have been shopping at sales in Europe when looking for horses to compete in their major races.

“Traditionally, they have bought at Tattersalls in Newmarket and they have done well with those horses,” he said. “But they race on dirt primarily, so it’s not surprising that they bought one here. Why wouldn’t they want dirt horses?”

WATCH: Scars Are Cool (SC #14, post 11) winning in Saudi Arabia Jan. 15

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The race is part of the series that leads up the $20-million Saudi Cup scheduled for Feb. 20.

Scars Are Cool was sold for $175,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale to Ahmad Alabdullatif, a breeder based in Riyadh.

An advisor to several Saudi Arabian racing operations, Alabdullatif identified several candidates at the sale for consideration and Scars Are Cool emerged as the top choice of his eventual buyer, Mohammed Omar I. Alsakan. Lexington-based bloodstock agent Thomas Clark signed the ticket on behalf of Mr. Alabdullatif and the buyer.

Scars Are Cool was consigned to the sale by Claiborne Farm, agent for Sagamore Farm.

The post Fasig-Tipton Horses Of Racing Age Sale Grad Scars Are Cool On Saudi Cup Trail appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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