Saudi Cup: New approach has paid off for Rattle N Roll

Rattle N Roll had an easy canter of the King Abdulaziz Racecourse dirt track on Thursday morning as he prepared for his tilt in the Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup.

Now a 6-year-old, Rattle N Roll is in the form of his career for trainer Kenny McPeek. The son of Connect won his past two runs in exceptional fashion, taking the Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup in Saudi Arabia.

"We’ve approached him a little bit differently, the older he’s become," McPeek said. "I, admittedly, was pretty aggressive with him as a 3-year-old and even ran him back on seven days’ rest and should have won both if not for a little traffic issue.

"We are now spacing his races more, and I think he fires a bigger shot when we do that. I think, at this age for him, coming back with more time really benefits him."

Those two efforts came on the heels of being frustratingly denied entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic as first reserve. It was a similar scenario to 2023, when the chestnut was sitting first reserve for the Kentucky Derby and never drew into the body of the race.

"This horse would probably be much more recognizable if he had been able to get into the Kentucky Derby, because that race ended up being a closer’s race and he would have benefitted," McPeek said. "And of course, Rich Strike won that year and we were every bit as good as him, but we didn’t get in.

"Then for us to get excluded in the Breeders’ Cup Classic was another deal where we were fingers crossed we could draw in and he didn’t get in. If we were to win that race, another with a fast pace and really came into it. So here we are today."