Bob Baffert-trained Havnameltdown after his San Vicente score Jan. 29 (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
~ Home Country Brings Six Contenders to Field of 14
~ Baffert Duo Vie for Victory
~ Japan Ready for Revenge
By Amber Joyce
Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert upset Japan’s winning streak in the 1600M (one mile), $1.5M Saudi Derby (G3) last year with Pinehurst, and he looks to win another when he sends out a duo. One-half of that duo is Havnameltdown (USA), who has won three graded stakes in his five starts. This Florida-bred son of Uncaptured closed out 2022 with a victory in the Bob Hope (G3) in November at Del Mar and kicked off his three-year-old season with an easy score in the San Vicente (G2).
Speed Boat Beach (USA), lived up to his name when he broke a track record for five and a half furlongs in 1:01.86 while winning his debut back in September. The Bayern colt switches back to the dirt after making the grade in the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) traveling one mile over the Del Mar turf course.
Japan is well-prepared for revenge, however, with four likely runners in the Saudi Derby this year. Hideyuki Mori trains two of the four, two-time winner Ecoro Ares (USA) and G2-placed From Dusk (USA). Mori trained both of Japan’s winners of this race, 2020 victor Full Flat and Pink Kamehameha, the winner in 2021.
The most accomplished entry from Japan is Hidetaka Otonashi-trained Derma Sotogake (JPN), who has put together a winning streak of three, including the listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun in his most recent start. Yoshito Yahagi’s Continuar (JPN), winner of the Cattleya Stakes and runner-up to Derma Sotogake two-back, rounds out the quartet.
Saudi Arabia-based trainers have six of the 14 contenders. Almulhem (USA) for Abdullah Alfarraj is a winner in two of his four starts and was second behind fellow Saudi Derby contender My Map (USA) in the Jan. 27 Saudi Derby Qualifier. My Map, trained by Khalid Aladhayani, is undefeated in four career starts, all at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
Watch My Map’s Saudi Derby Qualifier score:
Sixth in the Saudi Derby Qualifier and runner-up in the Ministry of National Guard Cup (local G3) is Ahmad Abdulwahad’s Almurtajiz (USA). Almurtajiz has just one win to his name, which came in his debut race on Nov. 25. Also with just one win is Atta Alghali (USA) for Abdah Alathaab. Atta Alghali was third last out in the Saudi Derby Qualifier and in his previous start was second in the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Faisal Cup.
Fawaz Alghareeban’s Baalb (IRE) and Sabah Alshammri’s Commissioner King (USA) complete the Saudi Arabia sextet. Baalb, a three-time winner, took the Sultan Raei Algudah Cup two back. Last out, Commissioner King was victorious in the Ministry of National Guard Cup.
Two trainers from Uruguay, Antonio Cintra and Ricardo Colombo, will each bring a South American runner to the Saudi Derby. For Cintra, it’s Es-Unico (BRZ) who will vie for the win. Winner of last year’s Gran Criterium (G2) in his home country, Es-Unico was most recently second in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial at Meydan on Jan. 13. Colombo will send out Loreley (BRZ), victorious in the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (G1) back home. Loreley also enters the Saudi Derby after a run in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial, where he was sixth beaten 26 lengths. According to Racing Post, an endoscopic exam revealed a degree of mucus that may have affected the colt’s performance.
Likely fields for the rest of the two-day Saudi Cup racing festival can be accessed here.
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It was recently announced that the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia will partner with Equine MediRecord for this year’s Saudi Cup to ensure equine welfare protocols are followed at the event. This will help all of the trainers at this year’s event more easily keep track of all of their trainee’s needs and care.
For more on Equine MediRecord, visit www.equinemedirecord.com.
