Photo:

Casey Phillips / EclipseSportswire

Brad Cox is unsure whether he’ll start Saudi Crown in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational, saying the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) is the top goal for the 5-year-old.

Saudi Crown won the listed Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds last out after a 13th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Cox told Daily Racing Form that the Cigar Mile (G2) was a consideration after the Breeders’ Cup but opted instead to run Saudi Crown at Fair Grounds “to see if we still had the Saudi Crown of old, and he was terrific.”

Saudi Crown, a son of Always Dreaming, was moved to Payson Park this week and will breeze there Saturday, according to the report “We’ll kind of let him tell us what to do after that,” Cox said.

Factors to consider for the Pegasus are whether connections want Saudi Crown to have another start before the Saudi Cup and how the field shapes up for the Pegasus, Cox told DRF.

Last year, Saudi Crown won the Louisiana Stakes (G2) before heading to the Saudi Cup, where he finished third, less than a length behind Señor Buscador and Ushba Tesoro.