Pink Kamehameha holds off Cowan in Saudi Derby

When American horses travel to race internationally one often can count on them generally having an advantage breaking from the gate. Since speed is so prized in American dirt racing, more attention is paid on training horses to break sharply.

And so, it was a smooth piece of irony that the American horse Cowan was undone Saturday in the Saudi Derby by a poor start. Left standing flat-footed, forced to play catch-up and race very wide around the one-mile race’s one turn, Cowan ran hard and ran well but fell three quarters of a length short of Pink Kamehameha in the $1.5 million Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia.

Joel Rosario had been scheduled to ride Pink Kamehameha but was permitted to switch mounts and pilot Cowan when Umberto Rispoli, named to ride Cowan, was unable to travel from California. Keita Tosaki wound up riding the winner for trainer Hideyuki Mori.

A Japanese horse, Full Flat, won the inaugural Saudi Derby in 2020. Pink Kamehameha, by Leontes out of the Dancing Brave mare Tabatha Tosho, raced on dirt for the first time and came into the Saudi Derby with a 6-1-0-0 record and paid $63.20 to win in North American pools. New Treasure finished third while Soft Whisper, even money on the North American tote after an easy win at Meydan in the UAE 1,000 Guineas, was fifth.

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Pink Kamehameha raced prominently from the start, stalking and pressing the pace while in the clear. Cowan, a distant second to Caddo River last out in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park, had only one horse beaten while racing down the backstretch and was tipped five or six paths wide midway around the far turn. He gained steadily through the final furlong but, in the end, the beginning of his race proved Cowan’s undoing.

Copano kicks home for Japanese one-two in Dirt Sprint

Matera Sky finished second by a head last year in the inaugural Riyadh Dirt Sprint. This time, he was beaten a neck as Copano Kicking charged home on the far outside to snatch victory from Matera Sky while giving Japan-based horses a one-two finish in this 1,200-meter race.

Far Zae was a distant third, and perfect-trip Switzerland an even fourth. Last year’s winner, New York Central, never factored and finished 11th.

William Buick rode the winner, a 6-year-old son of Spring at Last out of Celadon, by Gold Halo, for trainer Akira Murayama. Winning time was a snappy 1:10.66.

Matera Sky broke from an inside post and showed speed, fending off all others to go clear in upper stretch, but by then Copano Kicking ($31.60) had begun his run, which he sustained to the wire, hitting the front in the final few strides.

*** Gifts of Gold rewarded his backers with ample treasure, paying $93.40 on the North American tote winning the $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap.

Spanish Mission, the 3-1 favorite in this 3,000-meter turf contest, finished second, Secret Advisor was third, and American shipper Mirinaque came home a respectable seventh of 13.

Saeed bin Suroor trains Gifts of Gold for Godolphin and Pat Cosgrave rode him. The 6-year-old son of Invincible Spirit (hardly a proven sire of stayers) and the refuse-to-bend mare Sanna Bay notched the biggest win of his career while racing for the first time beyond 1 1/2 miles (2,400 meters).