Midnight Bisou, Emblem Road, and Senor Buscador. Winning three out of five installments, American horses have dominated King Abdulaziz Racetrack since the inception of the Saudi Cup in 2020. However, ahead of the 2025 edition of the world’s richest horse racing event, the list of U.S. dropouts keeps growing.

While the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone dropped out because of a hoof abscess, Race Day‘s son White Abbario has chosen a domestic campaign over Saudi. And now with the 2024 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) winner Locked following suit, U.S. participation in the $20 million event has never looked slimmer.

The son of the Gun Runner will be skipping the Saudi Cup right after a scintillating performance in the Pegasus World Cup. Even though Locked had a poor start at the event, he closed in from eight to finish second behind White Abbario. So, why would trainer Todd Pletcher and others in charge of Locked choose not to capitalize on the momentum?

Well, that’s because much like White Abbario, who is set to race in the G3 Ghostzapper Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Locked has chosen to stay closer to home. “Yet another U.S. based horse will forego the opportunity to run for a $20 million purse in the Saudi Cup after trainer Todd Pletcher confirms that Pegasus runner-up Locked will stay home and make his next start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 1,” wrote Mike Welsch, a prominent correspondent of Daily Racing Form on his X account.

Aron Wellman, the president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, said the decision to pull out came after deliberating on “timing, logistics, and doing our best to map out a domestic campaign capable of posturing him for maximum success in the most prestigious, stallion value-enhancing events.” But does Locked’s pull-out mean the end of America’s Saudi Cup dreams?

U.S. Horse racing fans still have a lot to look forward to

The U.S. still has Rattle N Roll, who is all set to enter the big race. Leased by Saudi businessman Sharaf Al-Hariri from Lucky Seven Stables, Rattle N Roll booked his place in the Saudi Cup after a rather breezy victory at the Group 3 The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup. In fact, he was so good that his rider, U.S. Hall of Famer Joel Rosario hardly had anything to do. “The horse was able to do everything. I was just sitting there, the pace was good in front and it worked out perfectly,” said Rosario.

And as for neutral fans, they can have little to complain about. Although there is slim participation from America in the Middle East, there is also a huge entry of some of the best racers from across the rest of the world. There is, of course, the 2024 Saudi Derby winner Forever Young from Japan, Hong Kong’s 10-time G1 winner Romantic Warrior, and Laurel River who left everyone else in the dust at the 2024 Dubai World Cup, among others.

How excited are you for the Saudi Cup? Now that Locked has also opted out, do you think Rattle N Roll will be able to follow in the footsteps of Senor Buscador, who has now retired? Or are you rooting for another horse? Let us know in the comments.