Saudi Arabia to Host $20 Million Horse Race, Richest in the World

Saudi Arabia is getting ready to host a horse racing event that will be the richest in the world. [...]

By Brian Jones

Saudi Arabia is getting ready to host a horse racing event that will be the richest in the world. The race will take place at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack next year and there will be $20 million worth of prize money given to the competitors according to The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.

The race is called the Saudi Cup and there will be a maximum of 14 runners. The winner of the race will earn $10 million and the rest of the money will be distributed to the runners who finish in the top 10.

"The introduction of the Saudi Cup as an international race is without a doubt the most significant event in the history of horse racing in Saudi Arabia," Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal said in a statement according to Yahoo News.

"We look forward to welcoming international horsemen and women, the media, racing enthusiasts and the public to Riyadh in 2020."

Another thing to note about this race is the track, this won't be a track like the one you would see in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. The King Abdulaziz Racetrack is a dirt track that is 1800 meters long. British jockey Frankie Dettori believes this is one of the best dirt tracks in the world.

"Of all the dirt tracks I've ridden, it's the one I like best, as you can win from the front, and you can win from behind. It's a fair track," he said.

The purse for the Saudi Cup will surpass the $16 million purse for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational last year. That race takes place in Florida and Gun Runner came out on top. Gunner Runner won $7 million while the other horses that finished in the top four were able to claim at least $1 million.

This year's purse for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational was set for only $9 million - $4 million to win - due to a new race being created which is called the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

Saudi Arabia is becoming an attracting for sports and entertainment events. This week, it was reported the WWE is returning to Saudi Arabia to host a WWE Network event on Halloween.

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