Let’s Meet the Contenders for Saturday’s $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest horse race.

-- Xpressbet and 1/ST BET will offer full-card wagering from Saudi Arabia on Saturday, beginning at 7:45 am ET in the US. The main event is slated for Race 8 at 12:35 pm ET US.

PP 1 | #7 Panthalassa (Yutaka Yushida)
One of the expected pacemakers, Panthalassa is no stranger to the world stage. He won the 2022 Dubai Turf at Meydan on World Cup night, was runner-up in the Group 1 Tenno Show at home in Japan and was last seen in a disappointing effort in December’s prestigious Group 1 Hong Kong Cup. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi surprised the 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar with longshot winners Marche Lorraine and Loves Only You on dirt and turf.

PP 2 | #10 Taiba (Mike Smith)
Last year’s winner of the Santa Anita Derby, Pennsylvania Derby and Malibu Stakes was America’s only 3-year-old to notch a trio of Grade 1 dirt victories in 2022. Third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he joins Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Country Grammer as the only US interests in this year’s Saudi Cup. The only American to win this race in 3 editions was Maximum Security in 2020. He's the international bookmakers' favorite in this race at odds between 15/8 and 7/4.

PP 3 | #3 Crown Pride (Damian Lane)
The 2022 UAE Derby winner and 12th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby returns to the world stage from his Japanese home base. He finished second in all 3 starts in Japan post-Derby a year ago and looks to snap a 4-race losing streak after starting his career 3-for-4.

PP 4 | #9 Scotland Yard (Victor Gutierrez)
Former Steve Asmussen trainee knocked on the door of the Kentucky maiden ranks last summer before being sold in July at auction – purchased by the connections of Emblem Road, the defending Saudi Cup champ. Both sons of Quality Road, this 4-year-old has rattled off 3 straight wins in the desert, compressed between Dec. 31 and Jan. 28. He was hard-ridden out in a 10-plus length local prep score for this.

PP 5 | #13 Sunset Flash (Aseel Alsarhani)
The co-eldest runner in the field at age 7, she’s one of 2 mares to tackle the boys and bids to become the race’s first female winner. At home in Saudi Arabia since arriving from the UK in late 2019, she’s been a model of consistency with 11 straight top-2 finishes coming into the Saudi Cup. She loses jockey Alexis Moreno to Emblem Road on Saturday.

PP 6 | #6 Jun Light Bolt (Ryan Moore)
The presence of renowned jockey Ryan Moore will make this Japanese raider popular at the tote, witnessed as the international bookmakers' third betting choice in the race around 7-1. Six-year-old has blossomed late since moving to dirt, winning the biggest races of his career to close the 2022 season – the Group 3 Sirius Stakes and Group 1 Champions Stakes, where he defeated Crown Pride. The Saudi Cup will be his first trip outside Japan.

PP 7 | #8 Remorse (Tadhg O’Shea)
UAE-based gelding finished 6th in last year’s Dubai World Cup and will be making his first foray to Saudi Arabia. Finished a distant and one-paced third in the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 on February 3, just his second start since last year’s DWC program. He’s out of the Wesley Ward-trained Queen Mary dash winner Jealous Again and bred more on the sprint side despite being by super sire Dubawi.

PP 8 | #4 Emblem Road (Alexis Moreno)
Last year’s improbable 99-1 winner of the Saudi Cup returns to the scene in the 2023 spotlight. The Kentucky-bred son of Quality Road has won 8 of 11 lifetime starts, including a local tune-up in Riyadh on January 13. Top local jockey Alexis Moreno retains the mount off the prep score; a year ago he jumped off this horse to ride stablemate Making Miracles. The international bookmakers have him a 14-1 to 16-1 type of choice to repeat.

PP 9 | #11 Vin De Garde (Mickael Barzalona)
The co-eldest runner in the field at age 7, this is a son of all-time Japanese great Deep Impact. The world traveler has placed in the past two editions of the Dubai Turf, was a visitor to Del Mar in 2021 when 12th of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on grass and also competed in the ’21 Hong Kong Mile. He’s lost 8 straight dating back to 2020 and lacks the dirt credentials of the top Saudi Cup hopes.

PP 10 | #2 Country Grammer (Frankie Dettori) * pictured above *
Last year’s Saudi Cup runner-up looks to one-up his performance. If successful, he would become the first North American-based horse ever to top $20 million in lifetime earnings and supplant Arrogate as No. 1 on the all-time earnings list. Internationally renowned jockey Frankie Dettori has the mount, replacing Flavien Prat from ’22. Country Grammer joins Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Taiba as the only US interests in this year’s Saudi Cup. The only American to win this race in 3 editions was Maximum Security in 2020. International bookmakers have him tabbed second betting choice between 7/2 and 4/1.

PP 11 | #12 Lagertha Rhyme (Ricardo Ferreira)
She’s one of 2 mares to tackle the boys in this year’s Saudi Cup and will try to become the first female winner. The Irish-bred raced in Poland in 2020 and 2021 before relocating to Saudi Arabia. She had a 6-race winning streak snapped by Sunset Flash when second in her final tune-up for this, which is by far her toughest test to date.

PP 12 | #5 Geoglyph (Christophe Lemaire)
The 2022 Japanese 2000 Guineas winner will be tested for distance, having lost 3 straight since capturing that mile showcase in his homeland. He’s a son of Drefong, America’s champion sprinter of 2016. French jockey Christophe Lemaire, who has been dominant in recent years riding in Japan, will be aboard. Lemaire has won races like the Japan Cup, Melbourne Cup and is a Breeders’ Cup titlist.

PP 13 | #1 Cafe Pharoah (Joao Moreira)
The son of 2015 US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah has an all-or-nothing ledger that boasts 7 wins from 13 starts – but has finished fifth or worse in all 6 additional attempts. He makes his first start in a fifth campaign, having won races in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. All of his races have been in Japan and all of his signature scores have been at the 1-mile distance, a full furlong shorter than the Saudi Cup trip.