A field of 14 has been entered for the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) on Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – the world’s richest horse race. usracing.com is posting profiles for all the starters.
CROWN PRIDE
There are several ways to look at the prospects of Crown Pride in the world’s richest horse race – he’s 1-for-9 since winning the UAE Derby (G2) in 2022 and seems overmatched; or he’s run in some of the world’s biggest and richest races, owns a 10-length win in the Korea Cup (G3) in September, and looks like a live longshot.
The 5-year-old dark bay is yet another Japan-based threat in the 1 1/8-mile Saudi Cup. He finished 12th in the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1), and among his starts in 2023, he ran fifth in the Saudi Cup, fifth in the Dubai World Cup (G1), second in the Teio Sho, and 11th in the Champions Cup (G1), a race in which he ran second in 2022.
Well-traveled Crown Pride seeks to better a fifth-place finish in last year’s Saudi Cup
With just four victories in 13 career starts, this guy has a bankroll of $3,633,778 for owner Teruya Yoshida. Not bad.
Seems to be a frontrunner, but in the recent Champions Cup, he was taken five wide, forced to check with about 300 meters to go and lost momentum. However, his record at 1,800 meters (the Saudi Cup distance) reads three wins, two seconds, a fifth, and an 11th.
Earlier this week, he galloped over the King Abdulaziz track, and stable representative Yohei Kotobuki said: “He moved an accelerated well. We are happy.”
With Meisho Hario withdrawn from the race, Crown Prince is one of four Japanese horses competing for the $10 million winner’s share – Ushba Tesoro, Derma Sotogake, and Lemon Pop are the others.
2024 Saudi Cup Contender Odds and Post Position: Crown Pride
Betting advice: A live longshot worthy of strong consideration; well-seasoned for 1,800 meters and has competed well against top horses.
Post position: 6
Odds: 20-1
Jockey: Yuga Kawada
Trainer: Koichi Shintani
Owner: Teruya Yoshida
Age: 5
Career record: 13-4-4-0
Career earnings: $3,633,775
Last race: Champions Cup (G1), Dec. 3 (11th)
Top Equibase speed figure: NA
Pedigree: Reach the Crown-Emmy’s Pride, by King Kamehameha
Color: Dark bay
Running style: Mid-pack
Notes: This will be Crown Pride’s sixth Grade or Group 1 race … Was beaten by Lemon Pop in 2023 Champions Cup (Crown Pride was 11th) and was nipped at the wire by Jun Light Bolt in the 2022 Champions Cup … In running fifth in the 2023 Saudi Cup, Crown Pride helped Japan place four horses in the top five; the others were Panthalassa (1st), Cafe Pharoah (3rd) and Geoglyph (4th).
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White Abarrio | Irad Ortiz, Jr | Rick Dutrow, Jr. | C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable, LLC | 3-1 |
| 2 | Isolate | Joel Rosario | Doug Watson | RRR Racing | 15-1 |
| 3 | Lemon Pop | Ryusei Sakai | Hiroyasu Tanaka | Godolphin | 15-1 |
| 4 | Senor Buscador | Junior Alvarado | Todd Fincher | Joe R. Peacock, Jr | 10-1 |
| 5 | Saudi Crown | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox | SFMQ Stables | 8-1 |
| 6 | Crown Pride | Joao Moreira | Koichi Shintani | Teruya Yoshida | 20-1 |
| 7 | National Treasure | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert | F Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine | 9-2 |
| 8 | Hoist the Gold | John Velazquez | Dallas Stewart | Dream Team One Racing Stable | 30-1 |
| 9 | Defunded | Luis Saez | Abdulaziz K Mishref | Pegram, Michael E., Watson, Karl and Weitman, Paul | 25-1 |
| 10 | Power in Numbers | Adel Alfouraidi | Ahmed Mohamoud | Klaravich Stables, Inc. | 30-1 |
| 11 | Ushba Tesoro | Yuga Kawada | Noboru Takagi | Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings Co. Ltd. | 10-1 |
| 12 | Meisho Hario | Suguru Hamanaka | Inao Okada | Yoshio Matsumoto | 20-1 |
| 13 | Derma Sotogake | Christophe Lemaire | Hidetaka Otonashi | Hiroyuki Asanuma | 6-1 |
| 14 | Carmel Road | Camillo Ospina | Abdullah Albadah | SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherinetd> | 25-1 |
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.
