This Saturday, February 14th, Breeders’ Cup champions Forever Young and Nysos will face off for the first time in the prestigious $20 million Grade 1 Saudi Cup. Kicking off just before 1 p.m. ET at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, the Saudi Cup is the centerpiece of a packed racing weekend that also features the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes, the opening race of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series.
Both winners of the Risen Star and its companion race, the Rachel Alexandra at the New Orleans Fairgrounds, earn 50 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. Supporting races include four stakes events, with Millionaire Hit Show slated to make its debut in 2026’s Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes.
Express Kid, the Springboard Mile victor, returns to compete in the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park, New Mexico’s only Kentucky Derby prep event, where the winner will secure 20 Derby qualifying points. The Sunland Park Oaks also awards 20 Oaks points and will see the return of Bottle of Rouge, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.
Laurel Park will debut the inaugural Post Time Stakes on February 14th, honoring the retired Maryland-bred Post Time, who amassed over $1.5 million on the track. This new stakes race will be featured alongside the Nellie Morse Stakes, Barbara Fritsch Stakes, and General George Stakes.
Saturday Schedule Highlights:
12:40 p.m. — Grade 1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse
Forever Young aims to become the first horse to win back-to-back 1⅛-mile Saudi Cups while facing five U.S.-based contenders eager to dethrone him. Forever Young, currently the JRA Horse of the Year and an esteemed Eclipse Champion stallion, drew post 6 out of 14 horses. Nysos, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner starting from post 12, is considered his biggest rival. Others competing from the U.S. include Nevada Beach, Latrun Roll, Bishop’s Bay, and Vanishing, joined by Louisiana-bred Tumbarumba, formerly trained by Brian Lynch.6 p.m. — Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds
Undefeated Bella Ballerina, who captured the Grade 2 Goldenrod Stakes at Churchill Downs last November, returns for the 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra. Bred and owned by Godolphin, she appears to be the half-sister of Pretty Mischievous, the 2023 Rachel Alexandra winner and Eclipse Champion 3-year-old filly who also won the Kentucky Oaks. Bella Ballerina is the only stakes winner in the eight-horse field and is favored at 2-1 under trainer Brendan Walsh. Three other fillies—Power Dubai Family, Majestical, and Agrippina—enter fresh off maiden victories.6:30 p.m. — Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds
In the 1⅛-mile Risen Star, trainer Shelley Deveau will match wits against former mentor Chad Brown. Each trainer brings two colts who have recently secured wins in graded stakes events. Deveau’s Golden Tempo, coming off wins including the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes, will be ridden again by jockey Jose Ortiz and is the morning line second choice at 3-1. Brown’s favorite, Paladin, boasts 8 career wins, including a two-length victory in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes, with Tyler Gaffalione to ride him alongside Saudi Arabia’s top jockey Flavien Prat.
This report originally appeared in the Paulick Report’s Features section on February 12, 2026.
Fan Take:
This weekend’s clash of top-tier talent in the Saudi Cup and the Derby prep races offers a thrilling glimpse into the future stars of horse racing and signals the sport’s global appeal. Fans should watch closely, as these contests could reshape the landscape of the Triple Crown trail and elevate international competition to new heights.
