Saudi Cup

Back home in California after finishing second aboard Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in the inaugural running of the $20-million Saudi Cup, jockey Mike Smith said the penalties handed down to him for excessive use of the whip were "absurd." Under rules enacted just before the running of the Saudi Cup card, riders were limited to striking a horse no more than 10 times during a race. The Saudi stewards ruled that Smith struck Midnight Bisou 14 times and also was guilty of hitting his mount with no regard for the...

According to a report in the Racing Post, jockey Mike Smith has been given a nine-day suspension and fined more than $200,000 for excessive use of the whip aboard Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), the runner-up in Saturday's Saudi Cup. The fine is the largest ever handed down to a jockey for a riding infraction. Under Saudi racing rules covering the Feb. 28 and Feb. 29 cards, a jockey is permitted to strike a horse no more than 10 times. The stewards ruled that Smith struck Midnight Bisou 14 times. He...

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...

Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA--Maximum Security (New Year's Day) continues to put his controversial disqualification in last year's GI Kentucky Derby further and further in the rear-view mirror, striding home a powerful winner of the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup Saturday night in Riyadh. Making his first start of the year, the 4-year-old was floated to the center of the track down the backstretch and was shuffled in traffic as he found ground to shadow the pacesetting Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man). Mucho Gusto drifted out at the top of the lane, forcing...

It looked for much of the stretch run of the six-furlong Saudia Sprint Cup as if it would be a double for Speightstown and Japan as Matera Sky stole a big lead after setting the pace, but as that one got extremely leg weary in the final furlong it was the charging New York Central (Tapit) who capitalized, nailing him in the shadow of the wire to win by a head as another runner formerly based in America, Gladiator King (Curlin), made up ground to be third. New York Central...

The international favourites may have been humbled by locally trained runners in the first two turf contests on the $29-million Saudi Cup card at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, but European-trained runners powered back to fill the trifecta in the featured grass race, the $2.5-million Longines Turf Cup, with George Strawbridge's French-trained homebred Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) leading home the British-based Mekong (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Prince of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) in the 3000 metre contest. Call The Wind's trainer Freddy Head had earlier in...

Bahrain isn't the most notable nation on the international horse racing circuit, but it took a significant step in growing its profile on Saudi Cup day when winning the first two races on the card, with Dark Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) bringing up the double when running down Godolphin's Mubtasim (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) in the $1-million stc 1351 Cup. Mubtasim's stablemate Glorious Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) ran on late to be third, making it a clean sweep for horses trained in the Gulf region. Bred by Guy O'Callaghan and...

The former Irish handicapper Port Lions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has enjoyed a new lease on life since being purchased privately and expatriated to Bahrain last fall, and he ran his win streak to six with a last-gasp victory over the G1 Nassau S. winner and heavy favourite Dierdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in the 2100 metre Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup, the opening race of the Saudi Cup Card on Saturday. Port Lions has indeed been all over the map in his five years; a €220,000 yearling, he started out with...

In the annals of the international turf, the story of Freddy Head must feature among the most remarkable. He recorded a rare enough feat when winning back-to-back GI Breeders' Cup Miles aboard Miesque (Nureyev) in 1987 and 1988-she was the first horse to win twice at America's premier international meeting-but Head outdid even his own historic accomplishment when, as a trainer, he sent out the Wertheimers' Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) from his Chantilly base to win that same race in 2008, 2009 and 2010-she remains the only horse to win three...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - When Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, the chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, first started talking publicly last summer about creating the world's richest horse race, King Abdulaziz Racetrack didn't even have a turf course. Half a year later, the Riyadh oval is poised to host a world-class day of racing. Saturday's card is highlighted by the $20-million Saudi Cup, but also includes the $2.5-million Longines Turf H., $1.5-million Saudia Sprint, $1-million Mohamed Yousef Naghi Motors Cup, and $1-million STC 1351 Turf Sprint....

A stellar group of international talent has been assembled for the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup over 1800 meters at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh Saturday, with a quintet of impressive American contenders. Leading the American charge is Gary and Mary West's Maximum Security (New Year's Day). After infamously being disqualified from first in the GI Kentucky Derby last May, the bay colt redeemed his sophomore season with wins in the GI Haskell Invitational and GIII Bold Ruler H. before cementing an Eclipse championship with a win in the Dec. 7...