Sierra Leone, Laurel River Among Saudi Cup Nominees

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone, Dubai World Cup winner Laurel River and three-time Hong Kong Cup winner Romantic Warrior are among 28 Grade 1 winners nominated to the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 22.

Also among the nominations for the world’s richest horse race are Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, defending Saudi Cup champion Senor Buscador, and Japan star Forever Young, who was third in a three-horse photo in the Derby.

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The nominations list was released Friday by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia. Nominations for other stakes races over the Feb. 21-22 weekend at King Abdulaziz Racecourse were also released.

Other notable nominees to the Saudi Cup include 2024 Japanese Derby winner Danon Decile, Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Soul of an Angel, and 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio.

A total of 1,123 early entries, which includes 81 Grade 1 winners from 21 countries, will compete for prize money totaling $38.1 million. More than 100 horses were nominated to the Saudi Cup, which has a maximum field of 14.

The nominees for the Saudi Derby (G3) -- won last year by Forever Young – include Japan’s unbeaten Myriad Love (JPN) as well recent Jerome winner Cyclone State, Bob Baffert-trained Gaming and Getaway Car, Ireland’s Al Qudra, and Argentina Grade 1 winner Giustino.

Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Alfaisal, chairman of the Saudi Arabia Jockey Club, said in a news release: “Horse racing thrives on international competition, and we believe that The Saudi Cup is the perfect event to showcase the best of global racing. The Saudi Cup itself is the pinnacle of our racing season and in a few short years has become a truly global race.”

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