Saudi Crown just fends off Mystik Dan in Lake Ouachita

On the first Saturday in May 2024, Mystik Dan prevailed in the tightest finish in Kentucky Derby (G1) history. Fast forward to the first Saturday in May 2025, and Mystik Dan came out on the wrong side of a photo finish at Oaklawn Park. Front-running Saudi Crown, the odds-on favorite, staved him off by a nose in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita S.

Yet Mystik Dan fans could celebrate the fact that he turned in his best effort since last year’s Preakness (G1), where he was runner-up to another pacesetter, Seize the Grey. The Ken McPeek trainee advanced to the Belmont (G1), becoming the only combatant in all three jewels of the 2024 Triple Crown, but his subpar eighth indicated that it was time for a vacation.

Resurfacing in the Dec. 26 Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita, Mystik Dan was run off his feet as a trailing sixth. Stretching back out for the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup (G1) didn’t galvanize him either, and he wound up a distant ninth at Gulfstream Park.

Mystik Dan was freshened up again and pointed to Saturday’s race. McPeek believed that lowering his sights to a listed stakes would give him a confidence boost. 

Then, Grade 1 veteran Saudi Crown, a $3 million-earner himself, turned up in the Lake Ouachita with the same idea. Trained by Brad Cox for FMQ Stables, the son of 2017 Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming had a recency edge. The gray was exiting a second in the March 29 Oaklawn Mile (G3) to Banishing, who came back to miss by a whisker in a terrific Churchill Downs (G1) on the Derby undercard.

Between his current form and his tactical advantage as the controlling speed, Saudi Crown was bet down to 1-2 favoritism. Mystik Dan was the clear second choice at 8-5, with the rest of the field in double-digits. 

The market leaders ran up to billing. Both had new jockeys because their regular riders were at Churchill on Derby Day. Abel Cedillo picked up the mount on Saudi Crown from Florent Geroux, and Francisco Arrieta took over on Mystik Dan from Brian Hernandez Jr. 

Saudi Crown established control early, but Mystik Dan was on the muscle in a chasing second at every call. After posting fractions of :23.72 and :47.28, Saudi Crown spurted away from Mystik Dan through six furlongs in 1:11.43 and set sail for home.

But Mystik Dan regained momentum down the stretch and offered a serious challenge. As the two battled to the wire, Saudi Crown forced his nose in front in 1:42.25 for 1 1/16 miles. 

There was an eight-length chasm back to Dimatic in third. Emmanuel, who had been tracking the pace, faded to fourth. Next came Magic Tap and Seize the Night. Awesome Aaron and Frankie’s Empire were scratched.

Saudi Crown was scoring his fifth stakes victory, after the 2023 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and last year’s Louisiana (G3), R.A. “Cowboy” Jones S., and Tenacious S. He missed by a nose in two other graded stakes as a sophomore, the Jim Dandy (G2) and Dwyer (G3), and he appeared in command of the 2024 Saudi Cup (G1) before being swamped late in third. His resume now reads 15-7-3-1, $3,427,385. 

Bred by CHC in Kentucky, Saudi Crown is out of the Tapit mare New Narration. This is the further family of Grade 1-winning millionaire Noble’s Promise.