Premium Tap goes in King's Cup

Multiple Grade 1 winner PREMIUM TAP (Pleasant Tap) will make his seasonal bow

on Friday in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (KSA-G1) -- also known as

the King's Cup -- going 1 1/2 miles at King Abdul Aziz Racecourse in Janadriyah,

Saudi Arabia.

After his victory in the Clark H. (G1) at Churchill Downs, the bay was purchased

privately by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and his sons. He has remained

under the care of trainer John Kimmel and breezed five-eighths in :59 4/5 last

Friday at Gulfstream before leaving Florida on Monday for this engagement.

Twice a Grade 1 winner at nine furlongs, the five-year-old was third in the

10-furlong Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and will be stretching out to 12 furlongs

here.

"You never know when they go one and a half miles, if a horse is going to

handle it," Kimmel said. "But good horses can do good things."

Premium Tap's cause will be helped by the fact that the final three furlongs

are slightly downhill. Kent Desormeaux has the mount.

In the King's Cup, Premium Tap, racing under the name Allam, will take on

FORTY LICKS (Not for Sale), a champion in Argentina who now races for a member

of the Saudi royal family. Forty Licks, trained by Ian Jory and ridden by Mick

Kinane, comes into this contest on the strength of a nine-length victory over

the local course on January 12.

Both Forty Licks, who will race as Alhakem, and Premium Tap are expected to

compete in the March 31 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) at Nad al Sheba.