Cowan, Mirinaque Carry U.S. Hopes on Saudi Undercard

While American runners bid to dominate the second edition of the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 20 and Channel Maker looks tough in the $1.5 million middle-distance Neom Turf Cup, lone runners represent U.S. interests in two other rich races.

Cowan, a Kantharos  colt trained by Steve Asmussen, is set to contest the $1.5 million Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby at 1,600 meters (about one mile). And Mirinaque, a 5-year-old son of Hurricane Cat trained by Maria Cristina Munoz, is in the $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap at 3,000 meters (about 1 7/8 miles).

Cowan brings solid form to the desert but still has only one win from seven career starts. He was second in each of his last four races.

In his most recent outing, Cowan got home second in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park, albeit 10 1/4 lengths back of the winner, Caddo River. He wound up 2020 with a second—by 5 3/4 lengths—to Senor Buscador in the Remington Springboard Mile. That effort was not flattered by Senor Buscador's subsequent fifth-place finish in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2).

Cowan also was second in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Keeneland.

He will start from the No. 5 position in a field of 13 under Joel Rosario and the opposition for the Saudi Derby is a mixed bag with, like Cowan, past performances at a range of distances and surfaces.

Looming large, however, is Godolphin's Rebel's Romance. The Dubawi gelding is undefeated in three starts for trainer Charlie Appleby and had to fight hard to win the UAE Two Thousand Guineas Trial Sponsored by Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal in his last start.

Rebel's Romance runs here for a vastly more generous purse than on offer in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas. But a good run should put him in the UAE Derby Sponsored by Emirates NBD (G2) back at Meydan March 27—a 100-point race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Among the others in the Saudi Derby, Pink Kamehameha, will look to improve in his first run on the dirt and locally trained Hatm is 4-for-4.

Things look tougher for American hopes in the Red Sea, where Mirinaque drew gate No. 6 in a field of 13 with Francisco Goncalves to ride.

Mirinaque was a potent force in Argentine racing in 2019, winning a pair of group 1 contests and finishing second in both the Carlos Pellegrini-Internacional (G1) and the Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) before heading north.

Things proved tougher in North America as Mirinaque's best effort in four 2020 starts was a second in the Nov. 6 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

He finished ninth in W.L. McKnight Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park in his only previous start in 2021 and is sure to be long odds in the international wagering markets.

The Red Sea field is replete with globetrotting stayers, including last year's winner, Call The Wind, repeat Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1) placegetter Prince of Arran, Barbados, Mekong, and Red Verdon.