The Saudi Derby is a Group 3 dirt race for three-year-old thoroughbreds held at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Run over 1 mile on the dirt track during the Saudi Cup meeting, this race has become an important part of the European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby series, offering international points toward a potential Derby invitation.
The 2026 Saudi Derby is scheduled for February 14, during the Saudi Cup weekend at King Abdulaziz Racetrack. As one of the key Middle East qualifiers on the international Derby trail, it draws competitive three-year-olds from around the region and beyond.
The Saudi Derby has quickly developed a strong international reputation, with recent winners including Forever Young (JPN), who used this victory as part of a strong route toward the Kentucky Derby trail.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Golden Vekoma | Connor Beasley | Ahmad bin Harmash | 1:38.19 |
| 2024 | Forever Young | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | 1:36.17 |
| 2023 | Commissioner King | Luis D. Morales | Sabah Alshammri | 1:38.82 |
| 2022 | Pinehurst | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert | 1:38.12 |
| 2021 | Pink Kamehameha | Keita Tosaki | Hideyuki Mori | 1:38.57 |
| 2020 | Full Flat | Yutaka Take | Hideyuki Mori | 1:37.91 |
As part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Saudi Derby awards meaningful qualifying points that help determine which international contenders earn invitations to Churchill Downs.
For online horse betting, the Saudi Derby is an exciting race to follow because it showcases high-quality dirt form outside the U.S., allowing bettors to assess which overseas runners might carry their competitive edge into later preps or even toward the Kentucky Derby itself.
