SAUDI CUP: Friday's Jockey Challenge and $20 Million Cup Entries

Post positions were drawn for the $20 million SAUDI CUP on Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh.

The race goes off at 12:40 p.m. Eastern with the first race on the card off at 8 a.m.

Woodbine was able to complete plans to offer wagering and watching of the races for both Friday (Jockey Challenge) and Saturday on its www.hpibet.com.

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Canadian jockey EMMA-JAYNE WILSON will be one of the first women to ride in a race at the Riyadh track. She accepted an invitation to ride on the women’s team in the Jockey Challenge and has mounts in the four races.

Entries for the entire card on Friday Feb. 28 here –

Emma’s four entrants, including a favourite in race 4, are:

RACE 3 – 7 furlong handicap – TAIEB ALZIKR – #10, post 12 – 8 to 1 morning line

RACE 4– 1 mile handicap – NASSOHAH, 4yo filly, 4 to 1, #2, post

RACE 6 – 1 1/8 miles Handicap – HOMRAN, 20 to 1, #12, post 10

RACE 7 – 6 fur. 3yo handicap – ALSHATHERWAN, #8, 20 to 1

SATURDAY – SAUDI CUP – Maximum Security is the 11-4 favorite off wins in the Haskell Invitational (G1), Bold Ruler (G3), and Cigar Mile (G1). The Jason Servis trainee drew post 7 and will have regular rider Luis Saez aboard.

In to challenge him include 7-2 second choice McKinzie, winner of the Whitney (G1) before finishing second in the Awesome Again (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). Joel Rosario gets the call for trainer Bob Baffert out of post 9.

Two horses are at 7-1 third choice, Benbatl, winner of the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (G2) gets post 3 with Oisin Murphy in the irons, and Mucho Gusto, winner of the Pegasus World Cup (G1), gets post 8 for Baffert and jockey Irad Ortiz.

The post positions were drawn in the usual double-blind manner, with the 14 horse names on slips of paper inside golden “falcon eggs”, while white eggs held the 14 numbers. After a name was drawn from the golden eggs, that horse’s representative came up on stage to choose a white egg to reveal the post position.

Note – the post and saddlecloth numbers are different.

Deirdre (Neom Turf Cup) breezed on the turf under regular rider Yuta Koiyama. “She likes warmer weather, so I am happy with her condition at the moment and how she moved this morning,” trainer Mitsuru Hashida said. – VANESSA NG PHOTO – horse-races.net

MCKINZIE looks well ahead of the Saudi Cup – VANESSA NG PHOTO – www.horse-races.net

Post/Saddlecloth/Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Odds
1 4 Gold Dream C. Lemaire O. Hirata 40-1
2 12 Tacitus J. Lezcano W. Mott 20-1
3 1 Benbatl O. Murphy S. bin Suroor 7-1
4 11 North America R. Mullen S. Seemar 33-1
5 6 Gronkowski L. Dettori S. bin Ghadayer 33-1
6 14 Midnight Bisou M. Smith S. Asmussen 10-1
7 7 Maximum Security L. Saez J. Servis 11-4
8 10 Mucho Gusto I. Ortiz B. Baffert 7-1
9 8 McKinzie J. Rosario B. Baffert 7-2
10 3 Chrysoberyl C. Soumillon H. Otonashi 11-1
11 5 Great Scot A. Moreno T. Dascombe 66-1
12 13 Magic Wand R. Moore A. O’Brien 40-1
13 2 Capezzano M. Barzalona S. bin Ghadayer 9-1
14 9 Mjjack A. Aloufi S. Alharabi 66-1