Imperial Hint Heads Field of 13 in SAUDIA Sprint

Raymond Mamone's Imperial Hint missed out a chance to vie for a $1.8 million purse in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) when he suffered a foot blister and was scratched by onsite veterinarians at Santa Anita Park, much to the chagrin of trainer Luis Carvajal Jr.

Nearly four months later, the connections will get another shot at that huge payday—though they had to travel to the Middle East. 

The Imperialism gelding is a headliner in the $1.5 million SAUDIA Sprint Cup, one of the undercard races on the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup card at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

After missing the Breeders' Cup, Imperial Hint chased a fast :43.85 pace and finished third in the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. The Dec. 21 loss snapped a streak of consecutive wins built in the Vosburgh Stakes (G1) and Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) but did not dissuade Carvajal from targeting the 1,200-meter (six-furlong) contest in Saudi Arabia.

In the Vanderbilt, Imperial Hint handed champion sprinter Mitole  his lone loss of 2019.

A winner of 14 of 24 starts with earnings of $2,209,055, the 7-year-old Imperial Hint drew post 10 in a field of 13.

The American contingent also includes Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber's Captain Scotty, a Quality Road  gelding who is exiting a Jan. 25 victory in the Palos Verdes Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. It was the first graded stakes win for trainer Peter Miller's runner, who has won four of 13 starts and will break from post 5.

New York Central will make his first start for new connections from post 6 in the Sprint after starting 12 times in the United States for trainer Steve Asmussen. Now trained by Sami Alharabi, the 5-year-old son of Tapit  won the Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) last year but is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Nov. 2 Bet on Sunshine Stakes at Churchill Downs and two other losses in graded stakes.

Gladiator King, who drew post 7 in the Saturday's test, won the 2019 Hutcheson Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park but was later sold and has raced for Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi and trainer Satish Seemar in his two 2020 starts. In his most recent start, he won the Jan. 30 Al Shindagha Sprint Sponsored by DP World UAE Region (G3) at Meydan Racecourse.

The Japan-based Matera Sky traveled to the U.S. for the Breeders' Cup Sprint and finished eighth. Unraced by trainer Hideyuki Mori since then, the 6-year-old son of Speightstown  was second last year in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) at Meydan and will be a major threat from post 12 if he can return to that form.

Drafted, assigned post 3, started his career in the U.S. for trainer/co-owner Eoin Harty, winning a 2016 maiden special weight race in the spring at Keeneland. He was sold to Misty Hollow Farm in 2017 and turned over to trainer Doug Watson to race in the UAE. A Field Commission  gelding, he was fourth behind Gladiator King in the Al Shindagha Sprint last time out but was a multiple grade 3 winner in Dubai a year ago.

Field of 14 to Square Off in Saudi Derby

Racing in the Samba Saudi Derby will not enhance Rowdy Yates' chances of running in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Yet for an Oklahoma-bred 3-year-old who finished behind a 202-1 shot when last seen in a qualifier for the Run for the Roses, an opportunity to run for $800,000 against an international field filled with horses that may or may not relish a dirt surface in Saudi Arabia could be worth the long journey.

L and N Racing's son of Morning Line will face 13 rivals, including one who is United States-based, in the Feb. 29 Saudi Derby, a 1,600-meter (one-mile) test on the Saudi Cup undercard that offers no Kentucky Derby points but a hefty pile of cash for the winner.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Rowdy Yates has won five of his eight starts, capped by a 3 1/2-length score in the Jan. 26 Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park in his most recent start. Prior to that, with Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line, Rowdy Yates battled for the early lead in the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes but faded to seventh, a little more than 19 lengths behind the victorious Shoplifted.

Rowdy Yates drew post 8 for Saturday's test.

Billy Batts, always a hunch bet for "Goodfellas" fans, also traveled from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia and will make his first start on dirt. Campaigned in Kentucky and then California by Rockingham Ranch, he was recently sold to Sharaf Mohammed Al Zahrani, who retained Miller as the 3-year-old's trainer.

The winner of the Feb. 7 Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita was second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T) and will try to match the success of previous Juvenile Turf starters such as Catholic Boy  and Mendelssohn , who thrived on dirt later in their career.

Billy Batts, who has not finished off the board in his past six starts, drew post 10 and would be wise Saturday to avoid telling any of his rivals to go home and get their shinebox.

Speaking of the Breeders' Cup, the field also includes Full Flat, a son of Speightstown  with Japanese connections who was fifth in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), beaten by a little more than eight lengths. In his most recent start for Mori, Full Flat was second in a Jan. 18 weight-for-age test at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan.

The field also includes Bella Fever, a 4-year-old Texas Fever filly who has won all five of her starts. Returning from an 11-month layoff for new owners J Stables and Victor Azambullo and trainer Michael de Kock, she prevailed in the Feb. 6 Meydan Classic Trial at Meydan.

Bella Fever drew post 13 in the one-turn contest.

Godolphin's Final Song, a homebred, 3-year-old Dark Angel filly, finished third in the Jan. 23 UAE One Thousand Guineas Sponsored by Mina Hamriya at Meydan Racecourse. A winner of two of seven starts for trainer Saeed bin Suroor, she was group 2-placed in England last year. She will race from post 5.