Mishriff draws the outside in attempt to repeat in Saudi Cup

Mishriff will break from post 14 on Saturday, near where he drew a year ago, when he tries to win the $20 million Saudi Cup for the second year in a row.

Drawing widest in this field, with far more depth than the 2021 renewal, is not necessarily a bad thing. The Saudi Cup, a Group 1 for the first time this year, is contested over 1,800 meters, about 1 1/8 miles, around one turn. There’s a very long straightaway before the turn comes, giving Mishriff plenty of time to get into a decent position.

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Four American horses were entered. Country Grammer, the least likely winner among the quartet, drew post 1, while Midnight Bourbon landed post 3. Midnight Bourbon and Saudi Cup rival Mandaloun prepped in the Louisiana Stakes on Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds. Mandaloun beat Midnight Bourbon by three-quarters of a length that day and drew post 5 for Saturday’s race. Art Collector, who had strong win (107 Beyer Speed Figure) over Maxfield going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 Woodward last fall at Belmont, drew post 9.

The other entrants, from the inside out, are Aero Term, Real World, Emblem Road, Magny Cours, T O Keynes, Making Miracles, Sealiway, Secret Ambition, and Marche Lorraine.

Marche Lorraine won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff by a nose over Dunbar Road in her most recent race and is one of two entrants that shipped from Japan. The other entrant from Japan is T O Keynes, a blowout Grade 1 dirt winner in his most recent race. When T O Keynes defeated Marche Lorraine in their lone meeting, which came over a sloppy track last June, he was 6-1 and she was 54-1.

Sealiway won the Group 1 Champion Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on a sodden Ascot turf course in October, his most recent start, and will be trying dirt for the first time. Sealiway is racing for a new trainer, Francis-Henri Graffard, after former trainer Cedric Rossi was arrested by French authorities in early December, charged with doping and forgery.

Mishriff finished fourth as the Champion Stakes favorite, racing below top form over going wetter than he prefers, but the dirt track at King Adbulaziz Racecourse suits him. Two winters ago, he was second in the Saudi Derby, and last year Mishriff took the measure of subsequent American Horse of the Year Knicks Go and an in-form Charlatan to win the Saudi Cup by one length. He is trained in England by John and Thady Gosden.

The Saudi Cup is the last of eight races (post time 12:45 p.m. Eastern) on the second of a two-day meeting at King Adbulaziz Racecourse, which sits on the outskirts of Riyadh. First post is 7:45 a.m. Eastern, and the card kicks off with the Neom Turf Cup over 2,100 meters. That race likely has Pyledriver as a favorite and drew one American runner in Channel Cat. Casa Creed, the lone American in the race, drew post 12 for the 1351 Cup, a turf sprint over about 6 3/4 furlongs. Bob Baffert, who trains Country Grammer, entered Pinehurst in the Saudi Derby, and California-based Ginobili went into the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

Four American jockeys are making the trip: Joel Rosario rides Midnight Bourbon, Flavien Prat is aboard Country Grammer, Luis Saez rides Art Collector, and Florent Geroux has the mount on Mandaloun. Only Rosario will participate in an international jockey’s challenge on the eight-race Friday card.