The $20 million Saudi Cup and preliminary events run on February 29, 2020. Hundreds of horses have been nominated for the races, with over 140 for the main event. The Saudi Cup is the brainchild of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia. The centerpiece of the event offers the highest payout in the world.
The races are being held at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh. It’s the first turf track in the history of the country.
Here’s a list of some of the best horses from around the world hoping to land a spot in one of the Saudi Cup races.
Midnight Bisou – Trained by Steven Asmussen. 19 starts, 12 first-place finishes, four second-place finishes, and three third-place finishes. Total earnings $3,750,000. Midnight Bisou’s has never finished fourth or lower in a race. Finished second in the 2019 Longines Breeder’s Cup Distaff. Also finished third in the 2018 Longines Breeder’s Cup Distaff.
McKinzie – Trained by Bob Baffert. 14 starts, seven first-place finishes and six second-place finishes. Total earnings $3,318,560. Finished second in the Longines Breeder’s Cup Classic in 2019. McKinzie finished fifth in total earnings in 2019. Started the 2018 Breeder’s Cup Classic in 2018 and finished 12th.
Maximum Security – Trained by Jason Servis. Nine starts, seven first-place finishes, and one second-place finish. Total earnings $1,801,900. Started the 2019 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, which is the only race Maximum Security didn’t finish in the top two.
Anthony Van Dyck – Trained by Aidan O’Brien. 14 starts, five first-place finishes, two second-place finishes, and three third-place finishes. Total earnings $2,306,547. Finished third at the 2019 Longines Breeder’s Cup Turf event.
Magic Wand – Trained by Aidan O’Brien. 22 starts, three first-place finishes, eight second-place finishes, and two third-place finishes. Total earnings $4,146,829. Finished second in the 2019 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. Also finished second in the 2019 Longines Hong Kong Cup.
Deirdre – Trained by Mitsuru Hashida. 28 starts, eight first-place finishes, four second-place finishes, and four third-place finishes. Total earnings $5,235,096. Finished third in the Dubai Turf in 2018. Finished fourth in the 2019 Dubai Turf. Placed first at the 2019 Qatar Nassau Stakes.
Benbatl – Trained by Saeed Bin Suroor. 19 starts, nine first-place finishes, three second-place finishes, and one third-place finish. Total earnings $5,445,731. Won the 2018 Dubai Turf.
Prince of Arran – Trained by C Fellowes. 39 starts, six first-place finishes, eight second-place finishes, and five third-place finishes. Total earnings $1,798,300. Placed second at the 2019 Melbourne Cup. Finished third at the 2018 Melbourne Cup.
Kew Gardens – Trained by Aidan O’Brien. 17 starts, six first-place finishes, five second-place finishes, and two third-place finishes. Total earnings $1,823,538. Won the 2019 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Cross Counter – Trained by Charlie Appleby. 13 starts, six first-place finishes, two second-place finishes, and one third-place finish. Total earnings $4,417,010. Won the 2018 Melbourne Cup. Also won the 2019 Dubai Gold Cup.
The final field for each of the races hasn’t been set yet. The director of international racing for the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, Tom Ryan, is excited about the upcoming events. Here’s a quote offered by Ryan:
“We couldn’t be happier with the entries that we’ve received and we are now fully focused on putting on a spectacular first Saudi Cup race day to live up to the caliber of these entries.”
Phil Smith, the former British Horseracing Authority member, is providing ratings to help the Saudi officials narrow the final fields down.
With the largest prize pool in the world, expect the races to be filled with top competition from around the world. Once the final starting fields have been released, we’ll list them here, so check back soon.