Horse racing expert Michelle Yu, who recently hit the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, offers her best bets for the 2025 Saudi Cup on Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Horse racing expert Michelle Yu, who recently hit the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, offers her best bets for the 2025 Saudi Cup on Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Forever Young, a Japanese horse, has never lost a race outside the United States. Accordingly, he’s the favorite to win his second start at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday in the 2025 Saudi Cup. However, Forever Young is taking a leap in competition and will vie for a colossal $20 million purse. The 4-year-old is the 8-5 favorite in the latest 2025 Saudi Cup odds, narrowly ahead of Romantic Warrior (2-1).
Forever Young has won all seven of his races outside the U.S., was third in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and also placed third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Is there value in including the favorite in your 2025 Saudi Cup best bets or is there better potential among the 2025 Saudi Cup horses from longshots like Ushba Tesoro (14-1) or Facteur Cheval (12-1)? Post time is 12:40 p.m. ET. With several of the world’s best horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you’ll want to see what racing reporter and insider Michelle Yu, who is in Saudi Arabia to cover the race, has to say before making any 2025 Saudi Cup picks.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders’ Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager two years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
Last year, Yu correctly called National Treasure to win the Pegasus World Cup, predicted Stronghold’s upset win in the Santa Anita Derby and smashed the exacta in the Apple Blossom Handicap. On the Belmont Stakes undercard, she nailed National Treasure’s win in the Met Mile, and had the winner and exacta in the Woody Stephens Stakes. She closed out the year by hitting the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Now, Yu has handicapped the 2025 Saudi Cup lineup, made her picks and constructed her best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Saudi Cup predictions
One surprise: Yu is fading Rattle N Roll, even though he is one of the top Saudi Cup 2025 favorites. attle N Roll is an American horse looking to score a huge payday at the 2025 Saudi Cup and is fresh off a Thursday victory at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. But if Rattle N Roll can win his second race in three days, he’ll take down a significantly stronger field with competition like Forever Young and Romantic Warrior.
Romantic Warrior has won eight straight races, seven of them being Grade 1 competitions. Forever Young and Romantic Warrior are the two elite horses on paper and Yu doesn’t expect Rattle N Roll, who has one Grade 1 victory in four career runs, to pace up on Saturday. Given potential odds movement from Rattle N Roll’s Thursday victory, Yu doesn’t see value in playing him in 2025 Saudi Cup bets. You can see all of Yu’s 2025 Saudi Cup bets here.
How to make 2025 Saudi Cup picks
Instead, Yu is high on a horse with a strong pedigree that everyone is sleeping on. She is including this horse in her 2025 Saudi Cup bets, and so should you. She’s sharing which horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2025 Saudi Cup? And how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Saudi Cup 2025, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who nailed the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and find out.
2025 Saudi Cup odds, contenders
| Horse | Odds | Picks |
|---|---|---|
| Forever Young | 8-5 | SEE PICKS |
| Romantic Warrior | 2-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Rattle N Roll | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Facteur Cheval | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Ushba Tesoro | 14-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Walk of Stars | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Ramjet | 25-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Al Musmak | 33-1 | SEE PICKS |
| El Kodigo | 33-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Wait To Excel | 40-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Wilson Tesoro | 40-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Defunded | 66-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Intense For Me | 66-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Wootton’sun | 66-1 | SEE PICKS |