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Forever Young wins the $20 million Saudi Cup for the second straight year on Saturday. Photo by and courtesy of Katsumi Saito
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Forever Young won the Saudi Cup for the second time while a Bob Baffert-trained horse finished second for the fourth time -- an amazing performance all around that dominated weekend horse racing.
Along the way, there was more action in the roiling cauldron of competition that is the Road to the Kentucky Derby. As usual, there's lots to cover and little time. Go.
The Saudi Cup
There's not much more to say about the 2026 Saudi Cup. It spoke eloquently on its own behalf.
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Al Haram lands the Saudi Derby for local interests on Saturday. Photo by and courtesy of Katsumi Saito
Forever Young won for the second straight year, turning back the best challenge the excellent Nysos could muster. He never looked to be in as tough a battle as the one he won over Forever Young a year earlier -- or, for that matter, the Saudi Derby he won in 2024 with a desperate surge that collared Book'em Danno. The horse looked impregnable.
Baffert, on the other hand, looks snakebit. When Nysos cashed in his duel with Forever Young and settled for second, it was the fourth time Baffert horses have been runner-up in the race.
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Paladin wins the Grade II Risen Star on Saturday and jumps to the top of the Kentucky Derby standings. Photo courtesy of Fair Grounds
Forever Young is ready to move on to the Dubai World Cup on March 28. But the big buzz came when owner Susumu Fuita discussed longer-range plans during a post-race question-and-answer session at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
Fujita and trainer Yoshito Yahagi have said travel to Keeneland for a repeat try in the Breeders' Cup Classic might be too much of an effort. Fujita said whatever his final races, the plan has been to retire Forever Young at the end of the season.
Then he dropped a ticking bomb by saying he enjoyed the two Saudi Cups so much, he might come back for a "threepeat" effort in 2027, delaying a trip to the breeding shed by two months.
The bomb is only ticking because that bold statement was made in haste, right after an emotional win, and would carry not only risk, but also some financial loss as much of the 2027 breeding season would be forfeited.
Baffert also promised to keep coming back until he wins the Saudi Cup. But that was before he heard he might have to face Forever Young again.
The Road to the Roses
Paladin remained undefeated and took the lead in the Kentucky Derby standings with a determined, stretch-running victory over Chip Honcho in Saturday's $500,000 Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.
The Gun Runner colt, from the Tapit mare Secret Sigh, was part of a clot of 3-year-olds following Chip Honcho down the backstretch. After disposing of those rivals turning for home, jockey Tyler Gaffalione got to work on Paladin and edged by late to win by 1/2 length. Paladin's three wins also include the Grade II Remsen at Aqueduct on Dec. 6.
"He really fought hard today to get the win," Gaffalione said. "The more I asked of him, the more he was able to dig in to get by."
Pavlovian, a Pavel colt trained by Doug O' Neill, got just his second career win with a pace-pressing score in Sunday's $500,000 Sunland Park Derby. Pavlovian chased the favorite, Express Kid, took aim at that rival in the lane and gradually eased by to win by a nose. The 1 1/16 miles went in 1:42.22 with Edwin Maldonado up.
In Saudi Arabia, four American 3-year-olds failed to make much of an impression in the Group 3 Saudi Derby. Instead, local runner Al Haram stole the show, using most of the stretch to beat the best of the Yanks, Obliteration, by 1 1/4 lengths.
Also on Saudi Cup night:
Baffert's disappointment was tempered a bit by Imagination's nearly last-to-first win in the $2 million Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
The 5-year-old son of Into Mischief missed the break badly, but jockey Flavien Prat rode him like he owned him, and Imagination got going midway down the stretch, just in time to score by 3/4 length over fellow American Just Beat the Odds. He earned a "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Halloween at Keeneland.
Michael Schofield tracked the pace in the $1 million Tuwaiq Cup at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt and ground down the clear early leader, Bernard Shaw, in deep stretch for a 3/4-length victory. Final Destination altered course in the stretch in toward the rail and got up for second.
Florida-based Reef Runner scored another one for the U.S. team with a pace-stalking victory by a neck over Lazzat in the $2 million Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint. With Irad Ortiz Jr. up, the 5-year-old The Big Beast gelding improved on his fourth-place finish in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Royal Champion is getting good for trainer Karl Burke at age 8. The Irish-bred Shamardal gelding, last seen winning the Group 2 Bahrain International Trophy as the solid favorite, rallied in the stretch under Oisin Murphy to score by an emphatic 4 3/4 lengths in the Neom Turf Cup, newly upgraded to Group 1 and to a purse of $3 million.
Last year's winner, Shin Emperor, handled by the same team as Forever Young, finished fifth.
A pair of rising stars in the sport, trainer Joseph Patrick O'Brien and jockey Dylan Brown McGonagle, made their mark on the Saudi Program as Sons and Lovers scored in the $2 million Grade II Red Sea Turf Handicap.
The 5-year-old Study of Man gelding waited patiently behind the leaders through most of the 3,000 meters, found a gaping opening between them and shot through for the lead.
Meanwhile, back in the States
The Path to the Oaks
Bella Ballerina remained undefeated with a hard-won victory in Saturday's $300,000 Grade II Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds. The Godolphin homebred Street Sense filly was making her first start since winning the Grade II Golden Rod at Churchill Downs Nov. 29.
Bottle of Rouge got away late to a 1 1/2-length victory in Sunday's $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks. The Vino Rosso filly, trained by Baffert for his wife, Jill, ran 1 mile on a fast track in 1:35.82. She won the Grade I Del Mar Debutante last September, but then was sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Classic
Last year's Dubai World Cup winner, Hit Show, was all out to win Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds by a head over Accelerize. It was his first start since a second-place finish in the Grade II Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28.
Distaff
Claret Beret circled five-wide around rivals in Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park, rolled them all up and drove away to win by 5 lengths over Alpine Princess.
Sprint
Point Dume led from the early strides in Saturday's $200,000 General George Stakes at Laurel Park, wasn't challenged and drew off to win by 3 3/4 lengths. Man O Rose won Sunday's $100,000 Palos Verde at Santa Anita by 1 1/2 lengths.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Passage East captured Saturday's $200,000 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park and French Frictio took Saturday's $150,000 Dixie Belle for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park.
Turf
Lagynos rallied through the final furlong to win Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Fair Grounds Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths. Mondego won Saturday's $100,000 Grade III San Marcos at Santa Anita.
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