The $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) is Saturday, Feb. 14, at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and US Racing is publishing profiles of all the contenders.
Can a filly win the $20 million Saudi Cup? One that didn’t even qualify for the race, but was supplemented into the field for $200,000 by owner Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz? One that is likely to go off at odds in the neighborhood of 100-1 or beyond?
Not likely, but Ameerat Alzamaan will be given a chance to make a lot history in the seventh running of the richest race in the world.
A winner in six of eight career races, including the Fillies’ Mile on the Saudi Cup undercard in 2025, Ameerat Alzamaan will be ridden by Ryan Moore, among the world’s top jockeys. Having the home track advantage could help, too.
“I have been very pleased with her condition and believe she is in much better shape now than she was previously, showing clear improvement,” said trainer Sami Alharabi said recently. “My confidence comes from the noticeable development I see in her daily training, which gives me strong belief in her progression.”
Sounds confident, right? Last out, the 4-year-old England-bred filly finished second to Mhally (another likely 100-1 shot in the Saudi Cup) in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (G3) on Jan. 17, which was a “win and you’re in’’ race for Saturday’s race. She was then supplemented to round out the 14-horse field.
“It is very exciting to have a runner in the Saudi Cup and I place my trust in God for the filly to deliver a positive result,’’ Alharabi said. He also said his filly might like running further than her usual 1,600 meters (just under a mile).
“The filly is versatile, but I believe her ideal trip is between 1,800 meters and 2,000 meters.”
But taking on the likes of global star Forever Young and the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Nysos and Nevada Beach is way over her head, no matter what the trainer says.
A filly has won this race (Midnight Bisou was declared the 2020 winner four years after the race when first-place finisher Maximum Security was disqualified). This filly will be lucky to finish in the top 10.
Notes: In 2024, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz became a part owner of White Abarrio with C2 Racing Stable ... Ameerat Alzamaan also won the local 1000 Guineas in 2025.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
