A year ago, Forever Young and Book'em Danno slugged it out in the final strides of the Saudi Derby (G3) and both went on to successful seasons—very successful in Forever Young's case.
The Feb. 22 renewal at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, provides a similar opportunity with a field of 10 set to face the starter, again including promising Japanese runners and another American with potential.
The one-mile Derby is the second race on a program filled with talent from around the globe that culminates in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1).
Chad Summers brings this year's lone American Derby contender—Cyclone State, an Iowa-bred colt by McKinzie . Cyclone State started his career in New York with lackluster performances on dirt and in the mud but perked up in his fourth start in an off-the-turf maiden event at Aqueduct Racetrack, finishing second.
The penny dropped after that start and the colt went on to post three straight wins, culminating in the Jerome Stakes Jan. 4, a tour de force in which he led by as much as eight lengths, opening up a literal world of possibilities for Summers and owners Gold Square, George Messina, and Michael Lee.
"The beautiful thing about this is that it allows you to become a handicapper," the trainer said after the Jerome. "Having a nice 3-year-old is great. It gets you excited when you get out of the bed in the morning, and I am thankful to the owners for giving a small stable like ours a chance with a horse like this."
Cyclone State's big lead throughout the Jerome was similar to Book'em Danno's in the 2024 Saudi Derby —a lead he lost only in the final strides as Forever Young made up a seemingly impossible gap for the victory. And Forever Young's trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, is back with another Derby candidate, Mistress.
The filly, a daughter of Kizuna, has been marked for big things. After a career-opening win, she finished second in the Artemis Stakes (G3) but then failed to make an impression against some of the top Japanese 2-year-old fillies in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) in December. She tried dirt for the first time Jan. 22 in the Bluebird Cup at Funabashi Racecourse but reported home fourth.
She joins Yahagi's Cup candidate Forever Young and Neom Turf Cup (G2T) contender Shin Emperor on the Saudi Cup undercard. While Forever Young is the marquee name, Yahagi has hopes for all three.
"All the three horses had nice gallops for the final preparation before they left for Riyadh and I am very satisfied with how healthy they are at the moment," he said.
More successful on the Japanese dirt is another of that country's Saudi contingent, Myriad Love, a New Year's Day filly who is 2-for-2 on the surface. Both victories came at National Association of Racing tracks—the primary site of dirt racing in Japan.
Dubai sends a hot Derby contender in Golden Vekoma, winner of two in a row for trainer Ahmad bin Harmash. The Kentucky-bred son of Spendthrift Farm's 2024 North American leading freshman sire Vekoma was last seen scoring an off-the-pace victory in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (G3) at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 24.
Ireland's Joseph Patrick O'Brien has Apples And Bananas, a Wootton Bassett colt who finished third in the Criterium International (G1) at Saint-Cloud in October after three straight wins in Ireland and France.
Leading local trainer Thamer Aldaihani is high on Mhalhal, a Daredevil colt who brightened up in a start two weeks out from the Derby after disappointing in the local Two Thousand Guineas, comparing him to the 2024 edition of Forever Young.
"This horse can do like Forever Young," he said. "He will win here, he will run in Dubai and I hope will go to America. He's a good horse."
The references were to the UAE Derby (G2) in Dubai April 5, which serves effectively as a "Win and You're In" for the Kentucky Derby (G1).
