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The Saudi Cup is the word’s richest horse race, contested each February at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The race offers a $20 million purse, the biggest purse of any thoroughbred race in the world.
The race was first run in 2020 and was won by Maximum Security. The horse trained by Jason Servis, was later disqualified after Servis was convicted of crimes that included misbranding and adulterating a chemical substance, specifically for using a compound chemical called SGF-1000, which was believed to be undetectable by regular drug screenings in race horses.
The purse money was withheld for years, and in August of 2024 the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia announced the disqualification. The runner up Midnight Bisou was declared the winner.
2020: Maximum Security*
2021: Mishriff
2022: Emblem Road
2023: Panthalassa
2024: Senor Buscador
2025: Forever Young
*Later disqualified; Midnight Bisou was declared the winner.
Mishriff was the upset winner of the 2021 Saudi Cup. The winner was owned by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal and trained by John Gosden.
Prince Saud bin Salman Abdulaziz’s Emblem Road ran down U.S. contenders Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon to keep the trophy at home in 2022. The winner was trained by Mitab Almulawah and ridden by Wigberto Ramos.
Japan took home their first Saudi Cup trophy in 2023 thanks to Panthalassa. The winner was one of six entered in the race from Japan. The six-year-old was trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden to victory by Yutaka Yoshida.
In 2024 it was the U.S. based Senor Buscador who won the word’s richest race. The six-year-old was trained by Todd Fincher and ridden by Junior Alvarado.
The 2026 edition of the Saudi Cup will be contested on Saturday, February 14. Over the course of Friday and Saturday, over $38 million in purses will be distributed.
Friday’s card includes the International Jockey Challenge, and the races include the Mosef Fillies Mile, the Saudia Sarawat Cup, the Lucid Tuwaiq Cup, and the Al Mneefah Cup.
Other notable races on the Saudi Cup Saturday card include the Riyadh Turf Sprint, Longines Red Sea Turf, Howden Neom Turf Cup, Boutique Group Saudi Derby, National Housing Commission Saudi International Handicap, and the STC 1351 Turf Sprint. Handicap.
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