Picture: Wealthy Steele/Eclipse Sportswire
Corridor of Fame coach Bob Baffert will return to King Abdulaziz Racetrack subsequent week with a mission to safe his first Group 1 win of $20 million. saudi cuphe’s decided so as to add to his enormous portfolio of worldwide successes with this race.
Breeders’ Cup Grime Mile Winner Nisos Scheduled to affix Goodwood Stakes (G1) winner nevada seaside Within the characteristic race on Saturday, Feb. 14, Baffert is relishing the problem of final yr’s winner Perpetually Younger.
“I assumed I used to be going to win earlier than, however each time I watch the Saudi Cup, I believe it is a house free, after which abruptly they present me on the 100 meters and after that 100 meters I misplaced some huge cash!,” Baffert stated.
“That 100m mark is a killer for me. We’re all the time forward on the 100m mark and also you simply assume, oh, this cannot be proper, there’s nonetheless 100m left. It is painfully shut.”
Baffert’s three runners to run on the evening included Creativeness within the Riyadh Grime Dash (G2), all of whom arrived in Riyadh to the delight of Baffert’s longtime horse mate Jimmy Burns.
“It was a protracted journey, however they dealt with themselves effectively. My assistant stated they have been all wholesome and pleased,” Baffert stated. “I used to be jogging within the observe on Thursday morning and the whole lot was wanting good. It’s superb how resilient this horse is after going by such a protracted journey, however he’s in good situation.”
It is comprehensible that Baffert, who has skilled such shut video games so typically for the reason that Saudi Cup was first held in 2020, recalled the late-game struggles.
Twelve months in the past, Perpetually Younger and Romantic Warrior made their timeless contributions to racing, however he watched in admiration with no runner in 2024 when Nationwide Treasure completed fourth within the saddle. Nation Grammar was second in 2023 and 2022, however Charlatan occupied the identical place in 2021, with Mucho Gusto main the best way within the first replace to take third.
“The Saudi Cup is new and totally different and all these huge races are totally different. You want good horses within the Saudi Cup. Should you take a look at final yr’s races with Romantic Warrior and Perpetually Younger, they have been nice,” Baffert stated.
“We have been fascinated by this for some time with Nysos. Once we received a little bit behind him, the truth that he would not be capable of run within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional, we gave him day off to run within the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Then as a result of he wasn’t capable of run as a lot, we determined to run him one other yr. So the Saudi Cup has all the time been on his radar ever since.”
“And for Nevada Seashore, I type of received the thought after the Breeders’ Cup that he is the kind of horse that is huge and lengthy jumps and will get over the bottom effectively. He desires to go a mile and 1 / 4, however the observe there could be robust, and he is a horse that jogs my memory a little bit little bit of Nation Grammar, who ran effectively there.”
Baffert will oversee preparations for subsequent week and is hopeful that each horses can be match to race.
“The prize cash is essential and the whole lot is a problem for me as a coach. It is a race I have never received but so I might be pleased if I might win,” he stated.
“It is a robust race, however all huge races like this are robust. We’re wanting ahead to it and hope the whole lot goes effectively this week. A minimum of we do not have to fret concerning the climate!”
Baffert confirmed Flavien Prat will trip Creativeness within the Riyadh Grime Dash and the massive race in Nisos, whereas Irado Ortiz Jr. can be his accomplice in Nevada Seashore.
“Creativeness leaving right here labored effectively,” Baffert added. “He is a little bit of a slow-starting kind of horse. He takes some time to get going, however the farther he goes, the higher. He ought to be very aggressive. It is exhausting to understand how he’ll do, however he is going effectively.”
