Photo:

Candice Chavez / Eclipse Sportswire

Rattle N Roll is on track for the Group 1 Saudi Cup after a blowout victory in Saturday’s Group 3 The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. The victory in the local prep earned the Kenny McPeek trainee an automatic bid to the $20 million race on Feb. 22.

It was Rattle N Roll’s first start since Nov. 29, when he won the Clark (G2) in his second start off a yearlong lay, during which he was recovering from hoof bruising. Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the Saudi Cup, Rattle N Roll was even more impressive.

Through the early stages of the race, Rattle and Roll settled in second last behind a quick pace set by E J Won the Cup, a stakes winner for Doug O’Neill last year in the United States who is now owned by Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdulaziz.

Rattle N Roll, under jockey Joel Rosario, began to improve position through the sweeping far turn. He continued sharply through horses in upper stretch and reeled in E J Won the Cup approaching the furlong mark. He continued to open up ground between himself and the rest of the field, winning by 4 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:52.95 over fast dirt.

Wait to Excel held second over Wootton’sun. E J Won the Cup flattened out to sixth after setting that sharp pace early. Carmel Road and Scotland Yard, who raced in the 2024 Saudi Cup, were 10th and 14th in the field of 20, respectively. Defunded, who also raced in the 2024 Saudi Cup, was scratched.

“The horse was able to do everything,” Rosario said in an interview with Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia presenter Cal Helliwell after the race. “I was just sitting there. The pace was good in front, and it worked out perfectly…I just wanted to let him be where he wanted to be, and then hopefully he can run at the end, and he did.”

The victory extends Rattle N Roll’s record to 24: 10-2-3, with earnings of $2,341,591. It also makes the son of Connect a graded- or group-stakes winner every year of his career from age 2 through age 6. He has been owned by Lucky Seven Stable for most of his career, though is being leased by Saudi businessman Sharaf al Hariri for his campaign in the middle east.

The race was Rosario’s second victory on Saturday’s card at King Abdulaziz. Earlier in the day, he won the Riyadh Dirt Sprint Qualifier with Ancestral Land, who is trained by Jimmy Jerkens and owned by Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz. Jerkens has been based in Saudi Arabia since the spring of 2023, though according to a report from Bill Finley of Thoroughbred Daily News he plans to move back to New York and train on the NYRA circuit when his two-year contract in Saudi Arabia expires.