Charlatan, Knicks Go Matchup Likely in Saudi Cup

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, amid new uncertainty about travel, has announced a likely field for the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 20 that would pit American runners Charlatan, Knicks Go, and others against solid international competition.

The eventual shape of the fields for the Saudi Cup itself and its attendant races could shift as a result of the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Feb. 4 announcement came just two days after the Saudi government imposed sweeping new travel restrictions that prohibit visitors to the Kingdom from 20 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Tom Ryan, the Jockey Club's director of strategy and international racing, nonetheless sounded a positive note in outlining the potential runners.

"The entire team are working incredibly hard to deliver a world-class event where the health and safety of all participants is paramount," Ryan said. "It has obviously been a difficult year for everyone, and we are glad that we are able to put on this meeting for racing fans all over the world to enjoy."

If all the expected runners show up, the programs on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse will include 77 overseas contenders from 13 countries with 24 group 1 or grade 1 wins among them.

The Saudi Cup itself is expecting a heavy U.S. presence in the form of Knicks Go, winner of the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1); Charlatan, winner of the Runhappy Malibu Stakes (G1); Tacitus, fifth in the 2020 Saudi Cup; Max Player, a player in each of the 2020 Triple Crown races; and Sleepy Eyes Todd, recently fourth in the Pegasus.

While Charlatan and Knicks Go have attracted the most attention, assistant trainer Riley Mott said earlier in preparations for the race that Tacitus has a devoted local following in Saudi Arabia as he is owned by Juddmonte Farms, founded by the late Khalid Abdullah.

The Americans could face the likes of Chuwa Wizard, winner of the Champions Cup (G1) on the Chukyo Racecourse dirt in his last start Dec. 6, and Mishriff, who was second in the Samba Saudi Derby Cup a year ago on the Saudi Cup undercard. Mishriff returned to win the Prix du Jockey Club (G1) (French Derby) at Chantilly in July. John Gosden trains Mishriff for Saudi Prince Faisal bin Salman.

Also listed as likely for the Saudi Cup are Simsir and Global Giant, winner and runner-up, respectively, in the Bahrain International Trophy Nov. 20, and Bangkok, ninth in that race but a force in the British All-Weather Championship races this winter.

"A battle between the likes of Knicks Go, Charlatan, Mishriff, and Chuwa Wizard in The Saudi Cup would be a huge thrill," Ryan said, "while the strength and quality of all the other races has really stood up.

"We were very excited when we saw the entry list for the second staging of The Saudi Cup and now that we know the likely fields, we really are delighted."

The United States also could have a say in the $1 million Neom Turf Cup as Channel Maker is listed as likely for that 2,100-meter (about 1 mile, 4 1/2 furlongs) event on the highly regarded King Abdulaziz greensward. Channel Maker, trained by Bill Mott, won the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) at Belmont Park last fall before finishing third in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland. He was the champion American male turf horse of 2020.

Cowan, trained by Steve Asmussen, is listed for the second running of the Saudi Derby—a race that also expects the talented Godolphin duo of Rebel's Romance and Soft Whisper. Cowan, a Kantharos  colt, has finished second in four straight races, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) at Keeneland.

Rebel's Romance, a Dubawi gelding, is undefeated after three starts and won the UAE Two Thousand Guineas Trial at Meydan in his last start. Soft Whisper, a Dubawi filly, has put together four straight wins, including a seven-length score in the UAE One Thousand Guineas Presented by Longines in her last start.

The ambitious, two-day program also includes a jockey challenge with some of the sport's top names and a new venture, the $500,000 Al Rajhi Bank International Handicap on the turf, open to horses trained in International Federation of Horseracing Authorities Part II and Part III countries. That race, designed to shine world attention on those jurisdictions and show Saudi leadership in the sport, drew entries from Bahrain, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Greece as well as Saudi Arabia.

The turf course, installed over the winter of 2019-20, also will host the $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap at 3,000 meters (about 7/8 miles) and the $1 million stc Turf Sprint at 1,351 meters.

Other races on the dirt course, which drew expansive praise in 2020 from American trainers and riders, are the $1.5 million Saudia Riyadh Dirt Sprint at 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs), the $500,000 Jockey Club Local Handicap at 1,800 meters (about 9 furlongs) for Saudi-trained horses and a $2 million race for purebred Arabians.