While these decisions are still being made, a look at the entries from the February 14 Saudi Derby (G3) indicates that trainers are now considering races outside North America. Of the 14 horses expected to start Saturday’s Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, four are being conditioned by American trainers.
While in previous years a few American trainers have made pre-Derby starts in races such as the UAE Derby (G2) on the Dubai World Cup (G1) undercard, Churchill Downs’ decision to add the Saudi Derby and two other races to the 2025-26 Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby has made this desert path more attractive.
Now trainers have the opportunity to travel to the Middle East and potentially make multiple starts in Kentucky Derby points races. Suddenly, the Saudi Derby not only offers a lucrative $1.5 million purse for 3-year-olds on dirt, but also offers Derby qualifying points and could fit into a multiple international entry path to the Churchill Downs classic.
The Euro/Mideast Road offers its own points classification – separate from the Main Road and the Japan Road – and provides a maximum of two positions in the starting gate. The Saudi Derby will award points to the top five finishers, and with its scale of 30-15-9-6-3, the race winner will immediately jump to the top of this circuit’s leaderboard, as two horses are currently tied on 20 points and neither is competing on Saturday.
Heading into the Kentucky Derby points standings
The Saudi Derby is contested in one turn over 1,600 meters (approximately 1 mile). These conditions should be attractive to any trainer looking to next stretch to the 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles) of the UAE Derby. Of course, the conditions – and the large wallet – also make the race attractive as a one-off race for talented second-year sprinters.
The other two races added to the Euro/Middle East program this year both take place in Meydan: the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (G3) won on January 23 with Six speeds a Kentucky bred son of Not this time who earned 20 Derby qualifying points; and the February 20 Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes, contested at the same distance as the UAE Derby.
READ: American and Japanese runners compete in Saudi Derby
As for the four U.S.-based runners competing in the Saudi Derby, Steve Asmussen trained Destruction coming in with a rating of 110, the second highest in the field. Last year’s Sanford Stakes (G3) winner qualified in three other stakes and finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T). The son of Violence opened his 3-year-old campaign Jan. 3 at Oaklawn with a 7 1/2-long romp in the Renaissance Stakes at 6 furlongs.
The other three US-trained runners competing in the Saudi Cup are this year’s Jerome Stakes winner My world for trainer Brad Cox; placed in class 3 Very connected for Kenny McPeek; and placed in class 2 Recognizemeplz for Doug O’Neill.
The Saudi Derby-UAE Derby path to the Kentucky Derby has already seen some success. In 2024, before the Saudi Cup awarded qualifying points, Forever young won the two races – securing his Derby spot in the latter – prior to his third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Forever Young won the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) last year and will attempt to win the Saudi Cup for the second year in a row on Saturday.
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