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.
Background 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. 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).
Saudi Crown has twice been through auctions. As a yearling he was sold at the 2021 Keeneland January Mixed Sale for $45,000. 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.
Saudi Crown is trained by Brad H. Cox.
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. 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.
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.
On September 23, 2023, Saudi Crown led throughout on a sloppy track at Parx Racing to win the Grade I Pennsylvania Derby by length defeating Dreamlike with Il Miracolo in third place.
Statistics Date Distance Race Grade /Group Track Odds Field Finish WinningTime Winning(Losing)Margin Jockey Ref2023 – three-year-old season 6 furlongs Maiden Special Weight Keeneland 5.88 10 1 1:10.01 lengths furlongs Allowance Churchill Downs 0.56* 8 1 1:15.88 lengths 1 mile Dwyer Stakes III Belmont Park 1.60 6 2 1:35.37 (nose) miles Jim Dandy Stakes II Saratoga3.50 5 2 1:49.61 (nose) miles Pennsylvania Derby I Parx1.10* 11 1 1:50.62 length miles Breeders' Cup Classic I Santa Anita 7.30 12 10 2:02.87 ( lengths) 2023 – four-year-old season miles Louisiana Stakes III Fair Grounds0.70* 6 1 1:43.20 lengths 1800 metresSaudi Cup IKing Abdulaziz Racetrack N/A 14 3 1:49.50 (1 length) 1600 metresGodolphin Mile IIMeydan N/A 13 12 1:49.50 ( lengths) 1 mile R.A. "Cowboy" Jones Stakes Ellis Park0.68* 10 1 1:36.57 lengths 1 mile Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile I Del Mar 7.10 13 13 1:35.48 (58 lengths) miles Tenacious Stakes Listed Fair Grounds 1.10* 8 1 1:42.35 2 lengths 2025 – five-year-old season miles Pegasus World Cup I Gulfstream Park 4.00 11 5 1:48.05 ( lengths) 1 mile Oaklawn Mile Stakes III Oaklawn Park 1.00* 6 2 1:36.77 (1 length) milesLake Ouachita Stakes Oaklawn Park 0.50* 6 1 1:42.25 nose 1 mile Hanshin Stakes Listed Churchill Downs 1.59* 8 7 1:34.10 ( lengths) 2026 – six-year-old season miles Ratings Handicap Oaklawn Park 0.40* 4 1 1:42.88 1 length 7 furlongs Commonwealth Stakes III Keeneland 1.01* 6 1 1:22.56 lengths
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Saudi Crown was the post-time favorite.
Pedigree
Saudi Crown is inbred 4s x 4d to Unbridled and 4s x 4d to Storm Cat.
Notes
References