The $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) is Saturday, Feb. 14, at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and US Racing is publishing profiles of all the contenders.
The ‘local’ hope was a late addition to the Saudi Cup after the withdrawal of U.S.-based Magnitude due to an injury.
The 7-year-old gelding could be the longest shot in the field, but his owner – Prince Saud Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz – has been in a similar situation and di OK. In 2022, the Saudi prince’s local Emblem Road shocked racegoers by winning the Saudi Cup at international odds of 113-1!
Can the Prince – and trainer Muteb Almulawah -- do it again with Thundersquall, who may go off at much higher odds? Highly unlikely in a field that includes Japan’s brightest star Forever Young, and a pair of Grade 1 winners trained by Bob Baffert, Nysos and Nevada Beach.
Baffert, though, is well aware of what can happen in the long 100-meter (109 yards) stretch in the 1,800-meter (1 1/8 miles) race – his Country Grammer was overtaken in deep stretch and beaten a half-length in that 2022 edition.
The son of Dubawi comes into Saturday’s race off a victory in the King Abdulaziz Racetrack Championship Stakes on Jan. 30 at 2,000 meters (1 ¼ miles). Prior to that race, he was fourth behind Mhally in the Kings Cup.
Thundersquall was bred in England by Darley Stud and was trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin. He ran on turf and synthetic tracks before arriving in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi prince will have a horse in the richest race in the world. That’s all the counts at this point. As for including him in any wagers? No.
Notes: In the first Saudi Cup, in 2020, Midnight Bisou started from the No. 14 post, finished second to Maximum Security but was eventually declared the winner 4 ½ years later when the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia officially disqualified Maximum Security.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
