O’Neill Duo Set For Saudi Cup Night After Quick Saturday Works

[Wandering Eyes]

Chief Stipe O'Neill is among a relatively small group of American-based trainers that readily seeks opportunities to travel horses to major overseas meetings. As recently as 2025, the California-based conditioner won the G2 Godolphin Mile for a third time with Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), and the barn is set to be represented in two of the six group-level contests on Saudi Cup night Feb. 14.

Purple Rein Racing and Mark Davis's Acknowledgemeplz (Bucchero) has been invited to the G3 Saudi Derby and the Florida-bred tuned up for the 1600-meter contest with a six-furlong drill from the gate Saturday over the Santa Anita main track that was timed in 1:11.60. It was one of only three moves at the distance, but matched the clocking of Imagination (Good Magic), who is expected to start in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

“Just wanted a nice, solid work,” O'Neill said of the $75,000 OBS March breezer, who went by himself. “From our experience when we get over there, we just go with easy work from a week out. Just wanted a good breeze, and he worked sensational this morning. Knock on wood, he's cooling out well, so we're right on target.

“Little endurance, little lung-opener,” he continued. “The next three days are travel days, so just wanted to give him a little bit more than his average work since he's going to be traveling.”

A debut second to next-out GIII Best Pal Stakes hero Desert Gate (Omaha Beach), Acknowledgemeplz earned a 93 Beyer in graduating at second asking in October. Fourth in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity last month, he exits a third in the Jan. 10 GII San Vicente Stakes, where he sizzled the opening four furlongs in :43.56.

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMEPLZ ($5.40) holds on for the win in R3 at @santaanitapark. The son of Bucchero was ridden by @Antonio1Fresu and trained by @DougONeill1. pic.twitter.com/rWZcXuDsaq

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 25, 2025

 

O'Neill expects to make use of the colt's speed in the desert and hold no real fears about the distance.

“I think on the lead going one turn is his best gig,” the trainer said. “I love that the Saudi Derby is a one-turn mile and speed generally does well all around the world. He's got speed, he's got stamina and I think his best is around one turn and I think it sets up good for him. I don't think the surface or the distance are the real concerns, I'd be more concerned about what else is coming over.”

O'Neill will give a leg up to Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, who will also guide Quattro Navarro Farms' Zio Jo (Nyquist) in the $2-million G2 1351 Turf Sprint. The 6-year-old fired a bullet five furlongs over the all-weather surface in :58.80 Saturday morning.

“He's always been a good work horse,” said O'Neill. “Just looking for a maintenance five-eighths with a gallop-out and he did just that and cooled out well. He'll have an easy breeze five or six days out from the race. He's doing super.”

Zio Jo's best form is over a mile, having gone down to a half-length defeat behind Formidable Man (City of Light) in last year's GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes. But his two most recent appearances suggest a sharper trip is in his scope, as he missed by a neck in the Nov. 30 Stormy Liberal Stakes at Del Mar over five furlongs and was a longshot third in the GII Joe Hernandez Stakes down the Santa Anita hillside course Dec. 29.

“He acts like a two-turn horse, but we dropped him back down to a sprint and he's run lights out,” O'Neill commented. “Having Flavien is awesome, just get a clean break and a good position. He's been very consistent. It's quite an honor that both of them were invited. It's an exciting opportunity.”

Depending on their performances in Riyadh, both O'Neill trainees are possible for the respective races on Dubai World Cup night Mar. 28, as stated, a place where O'Neill knows the way to the winner's enclosure.

“There are great opportunities around the world if you have horses that are good enough,” he said. “We've done it a bunch and we've had some success doing it. You'll get your odd horses that just don't like the travel. Neither one of these seems like that type.”

Both horses begin their journey to the desert on Feb. 1.

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