Saudi Crown
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| Saudi Crown | |
|---|---|
 Saudi Crown before the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile | |
| Sire | Always Dreaming |
| Grandsire | Bodemeister |
| Dam | New Narration |
| Damsire | Tapit |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | February 20, 2020[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Gray or roan colt |
| Breeder | China Horse Club |
| Owner | FMQ Stables |
| Trainer | Brad H. Cox |
| Record | 18: 9 - 3 - 1 |
| Earnings | US$$3,686,508[2] |
| Major wins | |
| Pennsylvania Derby (2023) Louisiana Stakes (2024) Commonwealth Stakes (2026) | |
| Last updated on April 14, 2026 | |
Saudi Crown (foaled February 20, 2020) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Pennsylvania Derby as a three-year-old in 2023.[2]
Saudi Crown is a gray or roan colt that was bred in Kentucky by China Horse Club. Saudi Crown is the progeny of Always Dreaming, the 2017 Kentucky Derby who entered stud in 2019 and has two crops of racing age. Saudi Crown is Always Dreaming's first graded winner. In 2023 Always Dreaming was standing for $10,000 at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.[3] Saudi Crown is out from an unraced Tapit mare New Narration. He is one of two winners from as many foals of racing age from his dam, the other being Westphal (Exaggerator).[3]
Saudi Crown has twice been through auctions. As a yearling he was sold at the 2021 Keeneland January Mixed Sale for $45,000.[2] At the 2022 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. Pedro Lanz, agent for Faisal Mohammed Alqahtani of FMQ Stables, acquired him there for $240,000 when consigned by Top Line Sales.[3]
Saudi Crown is trained by Brad H. Cox.[2]
Career highlights
Saudi Crown did not race as a two-year-old and had his first start as a three-year-old in April at Keeneland winning a Maiden Special Weight event over six furlongs.[4] Due to his late development Saudi Crown did not start in any of the Triple Crown events.
On July 1, 2023, Saudi Crown was a nose short in a defeat to Fort Bragg in the G3 Dwyer Stakes over a mile at Belmont Park.[5]
On July 29, 2023, on a sloppy track, Saudi Crown was defeated by a nose by Forte in the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.[3]
On September 23, 2023, Saudi Crown led throughout on a sloppy track at Parx Racing to win the Grade I Pennsylvania Derby by 1⁄2 length defeating Dreamlike with Il Miracolo in third place.[3]
Statistics
| Date | Distance | Race | Grade / Group |
Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning Time |
Winning (Losing) Margin |
Jockey | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 – three-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Apr 16, 2023 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Keeneland | 5.88 | 10 | 1 | 1:10.01 | 4+1⁄4 lengths | Florent Geroux | [4] | |
| May 21, 2023 | 6+1⁄2 furlongs | Allowance | Churchill Downs | 0.56* | 8 | 1 | 1:15.88 | 1+3⁄4 lengths | Florent Geroux | [6] | |
| Jul 1, 2023 | 1 mile | Dwyer Stakes | III | Belmont Park | 1.60 | 6 | 2 | 1:35.37 | (nose) | Javier Castellano | [5] |
| Jul 29, 2023 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Jim Dandy Stakes | II | Saratoga | 3.50 | 5 | 2 | 1:49.61 | (nose) | Florent Geroux | [7] |
| Sep 23, 2023 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Pennsylvania Derby | I | Parx | 1.10* | 11 | 1 | 1:50.62 | 1⁄2 length | Florent Geroux | [8] |
| Nov 4, 2023 | 1+1⁄4 miles | Breeders' Cup Classic | I | Santa Anita | 7.30 | 12 | 10 | 2:02.87 | (12+3⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [9] |
| 2023 – four-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Jan 20, 2024 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Louisiana Stakes | III | Fair Grounds | 0.70* | 6 | 1 | 1:43.20 | 5+3⁄4 lengths | Florent Geroux | [10] |
| Feb 24, 2024 | 1800 metres | Saudi Cup | I | King Abdulaziz Racetrack | N/A[a] | 14 | 3 | 1:49.50 | (1 length) | Florent Geroux | [11] |
| Mar 30, 2024 | 1600 metres | Godolphin Mile | II | Meydan | N/A[b] | 13 | 12 | 1:49.50 | (21+3⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [12] |
| Aug 11, 2024 | 1 mile | R.A. "Cowboy" Jones Stakes | Ellis Park | 0.68* | 10 | 1 | 1:36.57 | 1+3⁄4 lengths | Florent Geroux | [13] | |
| Nov 2, 2024 | 1 mile | Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | I | Del Mar | 7.10 | 13 | 13 | 1:35.48 | (58 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [14] |
| Dec 21, 2024 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Tenacious Stakes | Listed | Fair Grounds | 1.10* | 8 | 1 | 1:42.35 | 2 lengths | Florent Geroux | [15] |
| 2025 – five-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Jan 25, 2025 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Pegasus World Cup | I | Gulfstream Park | 4.00 | 11 | 5 | 1:48.05 | (8+3⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [16] |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 1 mile | Oaklawn Mile Stakes | III | Oaklawn Park | 1.00* | 6 | 2 | 1:36.77 | (1 length) | Florent Geroux | [17] |
| May 3, 2025 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Lake Ouachita Stakes | Oaklawn Park | 0.50* | 6 | 1 | 1:42.25 | nose | Abel Cedillo | [18] | |
| Jun 29, 2025 | 1 mile | Hanshin Stakes | Listed | Churchill Downs | 1.59* | 8 | 7 | 1:34.10 | (10+1⁄4 lengths) | Florent Geroux | [19] |
| 2026 – six-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Mar 5, 2026 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Ratings Handicap | Oaklawn Park | 0.40* | 4 | 1 | 1:42.88 | 1 length | Luis Saez | [20] | |
| Apr 16, 2026 | 7 furlongs | Commonwealth Stakes | III | Keeneland | 1.01* | 6 | 1 | 1:22.56 | 2+3⁄4 lengths | Flavien Prat | [21] |
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Saudi Crown was the post-time favorite.