Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio is poised to renew the rivalry with four of his vanquished combatants after the likely fields for the Grade 1, $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse were unveiled by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.

Five horses from the November race at Santa Anita feature among the 14 probable runners in the Feb. 24 event, including representatives from the United States, Japan, Ireland and Saudi Arabia.

Fair odds: East vs. west showdown looms in Saudi Cup.

White Abarrio was always well placed when winning America’s richest race Nov. 4 for trainer Rick Dutrow. He is set to once again take on the Japan runner-up Derma Sotogake, who returns to Riyadh after finishing third in last year’s Saudi Derby (G3).

The eye-catching Breeders’ Cup hero will sport new colors on Saudi Cup night following a part-purchase of the 5-year-old horse by prolific local owner Prince Faisal and will be recognized during the race by the prince’s familiar red colors with white epaulets.

Japan’s Ushba Tesoro, the 2023 Dubai World Cup (G1) winner and a staying-on fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic also is among the likely runners in the event that goes 1,800 meters, about 1 1/8 miles, on the dirt. The Noboru Takagi-trained 7-year-old is expected to line up with Todd Fincher-trained Señor Buscador, who was seventh at Santa Anita, and Brad Cox’s Saudi Crown, who weakened off a hot pace to finish 10th in the Breeders’ Cup but has wins in the Louisiana Stakes (G3) and the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) to his credit.

Bob Baffert took second ihe Saudi Cup last year with Amr Zedan-owned Country Grammer and is back this time with National Treasure, the Preakness winner, Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up and recent conqueror of Señor Buscador in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).

After finishing fourth in the Pegasus, Hoist The Gold (USA) is set to travel for trainer Dallas Stewart, having winning form over Señor Buscador from the 2023 Cigar Mile (G2).

In addition to Derma Sotogake, Japan also put forward multiple Grade 1 winner Lemon Pop, who finished first in Japan’s Champions Cup (G1), a Saudi Cup qualifier. He meets former UAE Derby (G2) winner Crown Pride and Meisho Hario, who defeated Crown Pride by a nose in June to become the first to land back-to-back runnings of the Teio Sho.

Leading Ireland trainer Aidan O’Brien unleashes Europe Group 1 winner Luxembourg onto dirt for the first time after he rounded off 2023 with a second in the Hong Kong Cup (G1).

There are three likely local runners. Custodian Of The Two Holy Mosques winner Power In Numbers is probable for trainer Ahmed Mohamoud from the Riyadh-based King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Sons Stables. Former Baffert colt Defunded is entered to line up for trainer Abdulaziz bin Khalid bin Mishref and new owner Dr. Muhaideb Abdullah Almuhaideb’s HDB Racing Stable. He is likely to be joined by Carmel Road, another U.S. import who struck his second time out in Saudi Arabia in the King Faisal Cup for trainer Abdullah Albadah.

“The likely fields Saudi Cup 2024 promise to offer a scintillating and fascinating renewal of the fifth Saudi Cup weekend across the two race cards,” said Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Alfaisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia. “We are looking forward to hosting these incredible equine athletes at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and to putting on a showcase of international racing for our domestic audience here in Riyadh and the wider watching world.”

	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last Start / Next Start	HRN
		Luxembourg Camelot	8.08	Aidan O’Brien	2nd, 2023 Hong Kong Cup G1	Probable
Last Race		2nd, 2023 Hong Kong Cup G1
		White Abarrio Race Day	7.98	Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.	1st, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic G1	Probable
Last Race		1st, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic G1
		Ushba Tesoro Orfevre	7.65	Noboru Takagi	5th, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic G1	Probable
Last Race		5th, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic G1
		Derma Sotogake Mind Your Biscuits	7.09	Hidetaka Otonashi	2nd, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic G1	Probable
Last Race		2nd, 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic G1
		Crown Pride Reach the Crown	6.71	Koichi Shintani	11th, 2023 Champions Cup G1	Probable
Last Race		11th, 2023 Champions Cup G1
		Defunded Dialed In	6.60	Abdulaziz Khalid Mishref	2nd, 2023 Awesome Again G1	Probable
Last Race		2nd, 2023 Awesome Again G1
		Hoist the Gold Mineshaft	6.55	Dallas Stewart	4th, 2024 Pegasus World Cup G1	Probable
Last Race		4th, 2024 Pegasus World Cup G1
		Saudi Crown Always Dreaming	6.44	Brad H. Cox	1st, 2024 Louisiana G3	Probable
Last Race		1st, 2024 Louisiana G3
		Lemon Pop Lemon Drop Kid	6.27	Hiroyasu Tanaka	1st, 2023 Champions Cup G1	Probable
Last Race		1st, 2023 Champions Cup G1
		Senor Buscador Mineshaft	6.18	Todd W. Fincher	2nd, 2024 Pegasus World Cup G1	Probable
Last Race		2nd, 2024 Pegasus World Cup G1
		Carmel Road Quality Road	5.95	A Albadah	8th, 2023 Gotham G3	Probable
Last Race		8th, 2023 Gotham G3
		Power In Numbers Girvin	5.89	Ahmed Mohamoud	1st, 2023 Tale of the Cat LS	Probable
Last Race		1st, 2023 Tale of the Cat LS
		Meisho Hario Pyro	4.45	Inao Okada	5th, 2023 Champions Cup G1	Probable
Last Race		5th, 2023 Champions Cup G1
		National Treasure Camelot	0.00	Lee Smyth	18th, 2021 Gillies Fillies’ Stakes LS	Probable
Last Race		18th, 2021 Gillies Fillies’ Stakes LS
		Isolate Mark Valeski	5.94	Doug Watson	1st, 2023 Al Maktoum Mile G2	Possible
Last Race		1st, 2023 Al Maktoum Mile G2
		Scotland Yard Quality Road	0.00	Moutaib Almulawah	13th, 2023 Saudi Cup G1	Possible
Last Race		13th, 2023 Saudi Cup G1