For the past few years, the Dubai World Cup and Pegasus World Cup have vied for the title of “the richest horse race.”
In 2021, the inaugural Saudi Cup takes place on Feb. 26. It will bring a $20 million purse.
The winner of this nine-furlong flat race on dirt will receive $10 million, and the remainder of the award will go to following positions.
A committee chooses up to 14 contenders from a long list of preliminary entrants.
This page covers all you need to know on the 2021 Saudi Cup.
Below, you’ll find information covering the background of the race, the undercard and the current list of entrants. Then we cover the types of bets you can place at US horse race betting sites.
Top site for betting on the 2021 Saudi Cup
2021 entrants and 2025 Saudi Cup odds
The initial Saudi Cup nominations includes no fewer than 32 winners of Grade 1 races. A committee at the Saudi Jockey Club reduces the list of potential entrants to 14 horses.
The list includes many of the top horse races from around the world. It also represents the winners of the best-known races.
| Horse | Trainer | Post Position | TVG Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Dream (JPN) | Osamu Hirata | 1 | 30/1 |
| Tacitus (USA) | William Mott | 2 | 15/1 |
| Benbatl (GB) | Saeed bin Suroor | 3 | 7/1 |
| North America | W. Mott | 4 | 30/1 |
| Gronkowski (USA) | Salem bin Ghadayer | 5 | 30/1 |
| Midnight Bisou (USA) | Steve Asmussen | 6 | 8/1 |
| Maximum Security (USA) | Jason Servis | 7 | 5/2 |
| Mucho Gusto (USA) | Bob Baffert | 8 | 6/1 |
| McKinzie (USA) | Bob Baffert | 9 | 3/1 |
| Chyrsoberyl (JPN) | Hidetaka Otonashi | 10 | 10/1 |
| Great Scott (KSA) | Abdullah Mishrif | 11 | 30/1 |
| Magic Wand (IRE) | A. O’Brien | 12 | 30/1 |
| Capezzano (UAE) | Salem bin Ghadayer | 13 | 10/1 |
| Mjjack (KSA) | John Sadler | 14 | 60/1 |
The undercard for the Saudi Cup
On Feb. 26, we see a card of nine races, many of which have large prize pools to attract top contenders from around the world.
Here are the races and prize pools, along with which of the two tracks at King Abdulaziz they will run on:
- Longines Handicap: $2.5 million prize pool, 3,000 meters on dirt
- Neom Turf Cup: $1 million prize pool, 2,100 meters on turf
- 1351 Turf Sprint: $1 million prize pool, 1,351 meters on turf
- Saudi Sprint: $1.5 million prize pool, 1,200 meters on dirt
- The Saudi Derby: $800,000 prize pool, 1,600 meters on dirt
- Obaiya Arabian Classic: $1.9 million prize pool, 2,000 meters on dirt. This race is for purebred Arabians.
- Jockey Club Local Handicap: $500,000 prize pool, 1,800 meters on dirt
- Red Sea Turf Handicap: $2.5 million prize pool, 3,000 meters on turf
- Riyadh Dirt Sprint: $1.5 million prize pool, 1,200 meters on dirt
- Saudi Derby: $800,000 prize pool, 1,600 meters on dirt
What bets can I place on the Saudi Cup?
You can place a range of bets on the Saudi Cup online, from racetracks and at off-track betting (OTB) offices.
These include bets on a single horse and bets on multiple horses to finish in different combinations. Keep in mind that you can “box” your bets for multiple finishers, covering all the various combinations.
Here are some of the betting options:
- Win: Your selection needs to be first past the post.
- Place: Here, you are backing your selection to come either first or second.
- Show: Your selection must finish in the top three.
- Exacta: Pick two horses, which need to finish in first and second places, in the correct order.
- Trifecta: Pick three horses, which need to finish in first second and third places, in the correct order.
- Superfecta: Pick four horses, which need to finish from first to fourth places, in the correct order.
Bets are settled via pari-mutuel pools, which works by combining the stakes of all win, place and trifecta bets and so on into different pools.
That pool is then divided among the winners. Favorites will have more winning tickets, making the returns smaller.
If you are betting internationally, the horse race betting sites will set the odds depending on the weight of money bet.
How to bet on the Saudi Cup online legally from the US
It is legal to wager online on the Saudi Cup from any state that allows pari-mutuel betting. This aspect stands even in states where there aren’t any racetracks or OTB offices.
Legal horse race betting sites give you access to pari-mutuel betting pools. Operators cover hundreds of tracks from across the country, plus selected international fixtures from the UK, Ireland, Australia and beyond.
The major races you will find at these sites include the Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup.
TVG: Up to $200 Bonus Bet
TVG is part of the Television Gaming Network. This horse racing betting site is open in the majority of states. It covers the major races from around the world. You’ll be able to view live streams of horse races and place bets via pari-mutuel betting pools online.
New bettors at the TVG Racebook can take advantage of a $200 bonus first bet.
Betting on the richest horse race in the world
The current field includes the cream of horse racing talent from around the world.
Those horses will compete in the wealthiest race ever on Feb. 29, 2020. The prize pool is $20 million in total, with $10 million for the winner. The following nine positions will receive prize money that is split among the owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff.
Several other $1 million+ races take place on the same day at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. These include the Red Sea Handicap and Neom Turf Cup.
If you aren’t able to attend in-person, you can bet on the Saudi Cup online and follow the action on TVG. This TV network has an online horse race betting site, which is legal in states that allow pari-mutuel betting.
You can get your betting bankroll off to a great start with TVG’s $200 first bet bonus offer.
More racing events
| Kentucky Derby | Preakness Stakes | Belmont Stakes |
| Triple Crown | Haskell Invitational | Arlington Millions |
| Travers Stakes | Stars and Stripes Stakes | Dubai World Cup |
| Saudi Cup | Kentucky Oaks |
About the Saudi Cup horse race
The first running of the Saudi Cup will take place at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 29.
The committee will select 14 runners from those entering the race. Two of these horses will be locally owned and trained. This race is open to thoroughbred horses, and there aren’t any age restrictions.
The first 10 finishers receive prize money.
The first-place horse will get $10 million, with the remaining $10 million to go to the following nine in diminishing sums. Prizes will be split 70% to the owner, with the remaining 30% evenly distributed to the jockey, trainer and stable staff.
The Saudi authorities note that this prize money will not be subject to local taxation.
The Saudi Cup is more than 1 1/8th mile, which is nine furlongs. It runs on a dirt track at the King Abdulaziz venue.