Main contenders get their work in for Saudi Cup

Monday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse was work day for the American horses in Saudi Arabia for Saturday’s $20 million Saudi Cup.

Knicks Go, Charlatan, Sleepy Eyes Todd, and Max Player all turned in breezes for the Saudi Cup. Tacitus, the other American horse that shipped for the race, might have a blowout on Tuesday but didn’t work Monday, his trainer, Bill Mott said. Mott also shipped Channel Maker for a start in the $1 million Middle Distance Turf Cup, while Max Player’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, sent Cowan for the $1.5 million Saudi Derby.

Knicks Go, who won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in his final start of 2020 and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational last month at Gulfstream Park, was timed in 48.40 seconds for his half-mile work, trainer Brad Cox said. Cox said his son Blake Cox and rider Dustin Dugas have been happy with Knicks Go since his arrival in Riyadh last week, and Monday’s work offered more of the same.

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Knicks Go and Charlatan will be the favorites in the Saudi Cup, a one-turn dirt race over about 1 1/8 miles. Charlatan went what trainer Bob Baffert, who is in California, described as an “easy half” in 49.80. “Very happy with the way he has shipped and trained,” Baffert said in a text message on Monday.

Sleepy Eyes Todd, who was fourth in the Pegasus, also worked on Monday but trainer Angel Miguel Silva said he didn’t get a time on his horse.

Max Player, most recently fourth in the Preakness Stakes, went three furlongs in 38.20 seconds, Cowan the same distance in 37.40, both horses breezing alone.

Besides the American horses, the other Saudi Cup entrants expected at the Wednesday evening post-position draw are Alzahzaah, a local horse who has won his last four starts, three Group 1s, while racing over the King Abdulaziz dirt track; Bangkok, who has shown good form this winter on the England all-weather circuit; Chuwa Wizard, a Japanese Group 1 dirt winner in his most recent outing; Extra Elusive, a multiple Group 3 winner over 1 1/4 miles on turf in England; Global Giant, the lesser of two likely entrants trained by John Gosden; Great Scot, another local horse who was 12th in the 2020 Saudi Cup; Military Law, a Dubai-based gelding who won Round 1 of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan on Jan. 21; Mishriff, a member of Gosden’s “A” team and the winner of the 2020 Saudi Derby in his only dirt start; and Simsir, a Bahraini horse who appears to be seriously overmatched.