$20M Purse Brings Top Horses to Saudi Cup

In the iconic baseball movie "Field of Dreams," the central theme revolved around the words "If you build it, he will come."

The world of horse racing has been putting its own twist on that phrase lately with the realization that "If you offer $20 million, they will come."

Only in this case, instead of an Iowa cornfield, the source of the attraction is in the land of deserts.

What may have seemed like a daydream a few years ago will become reality Feb. 29 with the first running of the Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The race will offer a $20 million purse with no entry fees. The winner will collect $10 million, and even the fifth-place finisher will pocket $1 million.

And much like "Field of Dreams," where "he" and many others did indeed come, the Saudi Cup (12:40 p.m. ET post time) has surely exceeded expectations by attracting an international field of 14 for the world's richest race, including the four best American dirt horses in training.

"It's a $20 million purse. It's a really big deal, and people want to be a part of it. They want to be a part of something special," said Gary West, who along with Coolmore owns the Saudi Cup favorite, Maximum Security, last year's champion 3-year-old male. "It's pretty unusual to get the four best horses in the same starting gate other than the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) because everyone is dodging each other, and I understand that. Most people will go where the money is the same and the racing is easier. It's Business 101, but the economics here are compelling. They want to put Saudi Arabian racing on the map, and what better way to do it than to offer a purse that makes everyone's eyes bulge out of their head?"

Equally reflective of the impact the Saudi Cup has already had on international racing is the presence of champion Midnight Bisou in the 1 1/8-mile dirt stakes. About six months ago, her owners planned to sell the $3 million earner at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale, following her start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). But after the launch of the Saudi Cup was announced in August, the wheels began to turn. The owners convened, and before a runner-up finish in the Distaff, a decision was made to pull her out of the sale and target the Saudi Cup for her 5-year-old season.

"When I heard about the Saudi Cup in the summer, I thought I had the right horse to go over there and take down the $20 million," said Bloom Racing's Jeff Bloom, the managing partner of a group that includes Madaket Stables and Allen Racing. "Then all of the pieces fell into place. When we decided to keep her and continue racing her, it didn't hurt that there was a $20 million race right around the corner. It's even good money for third ($2 million, compared to $1.1 million for winning the $2 million Distaff). We're going there to win, but the money for placing is great.

"Why wouldn't participants in our game get excited about this race and try to identify horses that will get them there? It's something that will only attract more attention."

McKinzie is another example of an older horse whose connections viewed the Saudi Cup as added incentive to remain on the racetrack for another year.

After the multiple grade 1-winning son of Street Sense  closed his 4-year-old season with a second-place finish in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, trainer Bob Baffert wasted little time in saying McKinzie was a candidate for the Saudi Cup and the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) March 28 at Meydan Racecourse.

"McKinzie could have been retired, but these guys want to see him run," Baffert said of the ownership group of Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman. "That's what you want in racing: people who race and who want the action. When I heard about the Saudi Cup, I thought it would be huge. It's important to have these big-money races for older horses because it gives you a reason to keep them running."

In the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 10 poll, Maximum Security is second, Midnight Bisou third, and McKinzie fourth. Above them is the 4-year-old rounding out the Fab Four in the Saudi Cup with 13 grade 1 wins between them.

Unlike the aforementioned trio, Mucho Gusto ran Jan. 25 in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1) and posted a breakthrough 4 1/2-length score for Baffert that should make him a major contender in the one-turn test. He also serves as an example of a new twist for owners. He was sold by Michael Lund Petersen to Prince Faisal Bin Khaled with the purpose of running the multiple grade 3 winner in the Saudi Cup. Baffert originally considered using the one-mile Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Pegasus World Cup Series Day as a prep, but he was so impressed with the way the son of Mucho Macho Man  was training that he opted for the main event on that day. Mucho Gusto earned $1.66 million in the race without Lasix (a race-day medication banned in the Saudi Cup and international racing), providing a quick return on his new owner's investment.

"The Saudis were looking for horses. It's like 3-year-olds. They are worth the most before the Kentucky Derby (G1). It's different after the race. It's the same thing with older horses now," Baffert said. "Their value is way up because of this race. Unless they are by Tapit , a horse like Mucho Gusto has a chance to make more money on the racetrack than he will through a stud deal."

The American shippers also include Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus, a multiple grade 2 winner who was moved up to third in last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve when Maximum Security was disqualified from first to 17th. Tacitus finished second in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). Even with those credentials, he could face an uphill climb Saturday in the homeland of his owner, Prince Khalid Bin Abdullah.

"To be competitive, we know Tacitus will have to improve by five or six lengths from last year," Juddmonte manager Garrett O'Rourke said. "He absolutely has to against this group."

Those five are more than enough to ignite the kind of fireworks worthy of a Fourth of July celebration, yet there are others who can make their presence felt, even on dirt.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Khalid Bin Mishref's Gronkowski is no doubt best remembered by American fans for finishing second to Triple Crown winner Justify  in the 2018 Belmont Stakes—aside from bearing the same name as the wacky former New England Patriots tight end. He was also second on dirt in last year's Dubai World Cup.

Using Gronkowski as a barometer, Godolphin's Benbatl will attract considerable attention. An earner of more than $5 million on turf, the three-time group 1-winning son of Dubawi debuted on dirt Feb. 6 in the Al Maktoum Challenge R2 Sponsored by Mubadala (G2) at Meydan and rolled to a two-length win, with Gronkowski 8 3/4 lengths back in third.

Add in Japanese entrants Chrysoberyl from U Carrot Farm and Gold Dream from Katsumi Yoshida—the 1-2 finishers in the Champions Cup (G1) on dirt at Chukyo—plus Coolmore's 5-year-old mare Magic Wand, who was second in the Runhappy Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T), and you have the kind of glitz and glamour worthy of a $20 million purse.

"Look at what they attracted: horses from all over the world," Bloom said. "The best of the best are going to be on a world stage, and I believe this is going to be the beginning of better things to come."

Handling the lengthy travel from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia promises to present a challenge for the Americans, though they each have an ace in the hole. Baffert owns three wins in the Dubai World Cup, and Bill Mott, who trains Tacitus, sent Cigar overseas to win the inaugural Dubai World Cup, giving them expertise in the trip.

Steve Asmussen, who trains Midnight Bisou, won the 2008 Dubai World Cup with Curlin , and that experience added to Bloom's confidence in signing on for the daughter of Midnight Lute 's first race against males.

"There's a huge value in having Steve, (assistant trainer Scott Blasi), and the whole team who are so well versed and such consummate professionals about a trip over there," Bloom said. "Having that in your back pocket gives you so much more confidence."

International racing is something new for Jason Servis, who trains Maximum Security. Yet he's been receiving a highly experienced helping hand. Ever since December, when West sold 50% of Maximum Security to Coolmore for racing and breeding purposes, Servis has been receiving insight from an operation that travels around the world as freely and successfully as New York trainers ship from Belmont Park to Aqueduct Racetrack.

"We are fortunate to have Coolmore as partners because they are worldwide travelers on a daily basis and they have given us really good advice about this process," West said. "Jason hasn't done it before, but he's a sponge for knowledge from people like Coolmore. We all feel very blessed to have Coolmore as a partner because of the experience they bring to the table."

Maximum Security is a 5-2 favorite off a record of seven wins and one second in nine starts. Aside from the Kentucky Derby fiasco, he captured the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at the Saudi Cup's roughly nine-furlong distance and was a sharp winner of the Dec. 7 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) in his most recent race.

Servis received an Oxford education in pressure following the infamous Kentucky Derby disqualification, but it did little to change his low-key nature, explaining why he will not gush about the chances of the 4-year-old homebred son of New Year's Day.

"After being through the Derby and all that stuff, I don't get the jitters anymore," Servis said. "I'm just going to say my horse looks good and is going to run great. He was a late (May) foal, and you can see he's tougher now. He's a little heavier with an older look to him, but I'm not feeling he's the horse to beat. We're going to try the best we can and see how it goes."

Maximum Security will break from post 7 in the long run to the turn, the same post he had in the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert said the one-turn conditions should suit McKinzie, who has seven wins and six seconds in 14 starts with earnings of $3.3 million, and added he's thrilled with Mucho Gusto's development from 3 to 4.

"It's really surprising the way Mucho Gusto has changed," he said.

Those three, along with Tacitus, prefer to run on or near the lead, and on an honest surface with little kickback, that could help the chances of a closer like Midnight Bisou, who has 12 wins in 19 starts.

"On paper, an initial look says there's a lot of speed to set things up for us," Bloom said.

Anything can happen when the starting gates open, but given all the talent on hand, racing's newest spectacle has surely achieved its goal of attracting the world's best runners to Saudi Arabia for a race that promises to be lucrative and memorable.

"It's not just a lot of money. It's about sportsmanship, and that's where the sport started," Baffert said. "It's like going back in time to Ben-Hur."