Star of Wonder Scratched From $20M Saudi Cup After Topical Substance Violation

Star of Wonder, the U.S.-based five-year-old entire trained by Saad Aljenade and racing for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Sons, was scratched from the G1 Saudi Cup after stewards found a prohibited topical substance applied to all four limbs. Thoroughbreddailynews reported the colt “was administered a topical substance to all four limbs on raceday in contravention of Article 134(10)(4) of the Rules of Racing,” and said the scratch came “on the advice of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) stewards,” reducing the $20-million field to 13 horses.

The TDN item lists Star of Wonder parenthetically as “(Uncle Mo)” and notes his record and sale history: the five-year-old was “sold for $325,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale,” finished third in the GIII Pimlico Special Stakes last year, and “has won both his starts in Saudi Arabia, including the Listed King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Cup.” Brisnet described him as “arguably the leading local” before the scratch and characterized the withdrawal as a late raceday development.

With Star of Wonder removed from the lineup, Forever Young cemented his place in Saudi Cup history. TheSaudiCup tweeted “FOREVER YOUNG becomes the first two-time winner of the G1 USD$20m #TheSaudiCup ! 🏆🏆” and Brisnet reported Forever Young was “well ridden by regular pilot Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young camped in a ground-saving spot just behind the early leaders.” Brisnet’s official finish order listed Nysos second, Tumbarumba third, “There was a 3 3/4-length gap back to Louisiana-bred Tumbarumba in third”, followed by Bishops Bay fourth, Japan’s Luxor Cafe fifth, then Sunrise Zipangu, Mhally, Banishing, Rattle N Roll, Ameerat Alzamaan, Thundersquall, Nevada Beach, and Haqeet.

Brisnet’s race narrative framed the contest and the aftermath: “Once again, the Saudi Cup delivered an eminently logical result as the right two dominated the finish. If the tussle wasn’t as suspenseful as a year ago, when Romantic Warrior got the jump on Forever Young, Nysos launched a sustained bid that kept the 1-5 favorite engaged for the length of the stretch.” The same Brisnet copy also explained the reason for Star of Wonder’s exclusion: “Star of Wonder, arguably the leading local, was scratched because of a rule violation – namely, his legs were treated with a ‘topical substance.’”

The supplied reports do not identify the substance, provide any laboratory test results, or include statements from trainer Saad Aljenade, owner representatives, or the JCSA beyond the stewards’ advice to scratch. TDN’s item carried the metadata “Updated: February 14, 2026 at 8:51 am” while the original report characterized the move as a “late raceday withdrawal from the world's richest horse race.”

Beyond the immediate sporting impact, the scratch raises regulatory and commercial questions for the $20-million event and international connections. Brisnet noted the Saudi Cup “serves as a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” and flagged that Yoshito Yahagi is “circumspect, if not questionable, about a title defense at Keeneland,” with Nysos positioned as a potential alternative market signal of form if Forever Young opts out of future engagements.