Saudi Arabia

Coming off a smashing win in the GII Fleur de Lis S., Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) will ship to Saratoga Wednesday, where she will prepare for the Aug. 1 GI Personal Ensign S. "After she gets settled in in Saratoga we will start gearing her up for her summer campaign with the expectation that she will run next in the Personal Ensign," said Jeff Bloom, whose Bloom Racing Stable is the majority owner of the Eclipse-Award winning 5-year-old. Bloom said the main goal after the Personal Ensign will be to...

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia has rejected the appeals brought by jockey Mike Smith against the severity and length of suspensions handed down by stewards for a pair of infractions on the Saudi Cup program Feb. 29. The Technical Committee of the JCSA did agree to allow the local authority of the appellant to determine the dates of the suspension. Smith received two suspensions totaling 11 race days on the Saudi Cup program Feb. 29. He was handed a two-day ban for failing to weigh in following a fifth-place...

The owners of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) released a statement Wednesday saying they expect Maximum Security (New Year's Day) to be disqualified from all his races, which would include the $20-million Saudi Cup. If so, Midnight Bisou would be placed first in the race. Bob Donaldson, the owner of Spun to Run (Hard Spun), who was second behind Maximum Security in the GI Cigar Mile H., also weighed in, saying he wants the New York Gaming Association to disqualify Maximum Security from that race. Midnight Bisou, who was beaten three-quarters...

When Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, unveiled his plans for the world's richest horse race last summer in Saratoga, I duly covered the event for TDN. But it wasn't until months later that the idea started percolating in my head that maybe I would actually go see the race for myself. As a kid from New Jersey who loves to travel the world and grew up reading Black Stallion novels, there is something almost mystical about Saudi Arabia--a country that seemed as...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Gary and Mary West and Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Maximum Security (New Year's Day) put the final exclamation point on a memorable day of racing at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh Saturday, recording a gritty 3/4-length victory over Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup. Last year's champion sophomore was forced to drift in and out down the lane as he attempted to overtake pacesetting Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) and finally took charge with 100 meters to run before...

The inaugural $29.2-million Saudi Cup card at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 29 drew 66 runners from overseas, including 21 Group/Grade 1 winners, HRH Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, Chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, announced on Wednesday. The full list of runners for the eight-race Saturday card have won a combined 32 top-level races. Some of the big names in the $20-million Saudi Cup include:  recent GI Pegasus World Cup winner Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) who squares off with Bob Baffert stablemate and MGISW McKinzie...

Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), a winner of the G1 Nassau S. last summer, will compete on the Saudi Cup day undercard on Feb. 29 or Dubai in March, Racing Post reported on Monday. Fourth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase in early December, the 6-year-old mare returned to trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam's Abington Stables shortly thereafter. Chapple-Hyam is filling in for Deirdre's regular trainer, Mitsuru Hashida. "Deirdre flew back here after Hong Kong rather than going home and you could say she is now a 'Newmarket Sheila', Chapple-Hyam told Racing...

The connections of dual GI Pegasus World Cup Turf runner-up Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are considering trying the daughter of Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) on dirt in the upcoming $20-million Saudi Cup on Feb. 29, Racing Post reported. Successful in the Nov. 9 G1 Mackinnon S. Down Under and runner-up in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 8, the Aidan O'Brien trainee and Coolmore representative sports nine placings at Group 1 level from 23 starts. She is one of 14 entries for the master of Rosegreen spread...

On New Year's Day, David Grening broke the news in the Daily Racing Form that Coolmore had purchased a 50% interest in the racing and breeding rights of Gary and Mary West's homebred Maximum Security (New Year's Day). (Disclosure: The Wests and their racing manager, Ben Glass, are retained clients of WTC, Inc.). The colt is to stand at Coolmore America (Ashford Stud) in Kentucky at the end of his career, but he is scheduled to race this year and has some major targets on his slate, including the new...