Second running of Saudi Cup scheduled for Feb. 20, 2021

The second running of the $20 million Saudi Cup has been scheduled for Feb. 20 of next year at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, the race organizers announced Tuesday.

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia made the announcement about the date of the event despite ongoing disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic and the unresolved winner’s purse from the first running of the race this year. This year’s race was won by Maximum Security, but the Jockey Club has not distributed the $10 million winner’s share to his owners due to the indictment of the horse’s trainer, Jason Servis, on charges related to the administration of illegal medications to racehorses.

Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, chairman of the JCSA, said during a remote press conference that he deemed the first running of the race a success, given the number of international participants in the first running and its undercard.

“It’s hard to overstate the success of Saudi Cup 2020 when you consider that in year one of a brand-new international event, we attracted some of the very best horses, trainers, and jockeys in the world,” Bandar said.

The Saudi Cup will continue to be run at the distance of 1,800 meters, or approximately 1 1/8 miles, and be open to horses 4 years old and up. There are no fees to enter the race.

The Saudi Cup will anchor an eight-race card on Feb. 20, with total prize money of $30.5 million, the organizers said. Races on the undercard include the $2.5 million Long Distance Turf Handicap at 3,000 meters, or about 1 7/8 miles; the $1.5 million Saudi Derby at 1,600 meters on the dirt; the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint at 1,200 meters; the $1 million Turf Sprint at 1,351 meters on the grass; and the $1 million Middle Distance Turf Cup at 2,100 meters on the grass.

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia also will hold a race card on Feb. 19 that includes several races in an International Jockey Challenge. The Jockey Club is adding a race to the slate called the Saudi International Handicap, which will be open only to horses from so-called Part II and Part III countries, which are considered emerging countries in the international pattern.

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi Cup as a way to draw attention to its emerging racing and breeding industry, along the lines of the strategy employed by racing interests in Dubai when they launched the Dubai World Cup in 1996. The Dubai World Cup has now become one of the most sought-after trophies in international racing.