Elite Power’s winning streak began last June in a Churchill Downs maiden race. It grew to six on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, where he followed up on his Breeders’ Cup Sprint win in November with a powerhouse victory in the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. Settling well off the pace down the backstretch and into the turn, Elite Power revved up midway around the bend, came with a withering wide run into the homestretch, hit the front at the 300-meter mark, and cruised to a 3 1/4-length victory over a very good horse, Gunite.   Gunite, who got a decent enough inside stalking trip under Tyler Gaffalione, stayed on solidly but was no match for Elite Power’s top speed. The Japan shipper Remake ran late to finish third, two lengths behind Gunite.  “I asked him to get a little bit closer. The turbo kicked in and that was it. I was just a passenger after that,” winning rider Frankie Dettori said.  :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  Elite Power from all appearances is the best dirt sprinter in the world – which makes it especially odd that he’s had no regular jockey. James Graham rode him to the maiden win and a first-level allowance score at Churchill, Joel Rosario was up for a Saratoga second-level allowance race win, Jose Lezcano rode for his stakes debut in the Vosburgh, and Irad Ortiz piloted Elite Power to his BC Sprint triumph.   Doesn’t matter who’s on his back – 5-year-old Elite Power just gets better and better.  Elite Power ($4.40) actually broke on top but was outrun early as Meraas took the early lead before last year’s winner, Dancing Prince, came up the rail to challenge. Gunite took up a position just behind those two as Elite Power had five in front of him and three behind hitting the turn. Six paths wide coming into the homestretch, Elite Power straightened up, clearly traveling best. Dettori gave him two mild right-handed reminders, took a quick peek back, and hand-rode to the wire.   Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who earlier sent Casa Creed out to a narrow defeat in the 1351 Turf Sprint, trains Elite Power for Juddmonte Farms. Elite Power is by Curlin out of Broadway’s Alibi, by Vindication. He was purchased at a 2019 yearling auction for $900,000 – money well spent.  ***1351 Turf Sprint   Poor Casa Creed. Twice now he has gone to Saudi Arabia for the $1.5 million 1351 Turf Sprint, and twice he has come away with an agonizingly close second-place finish to a Japan-based horse. Last year’s winner, Songline, favored again Saturday, ran a dull race, but this time it was Bathrat Leon making nearly all the running and holding off a sustained run from Casa Creed to prevail by a head.   Bathrat Leon had raced as far as 1 1/2 miles earlier in his career but it was only on Dec. 24, making his 18th start, that he tried a distance shorter than one mile. Fourth that day in the seven-furlong Hanshin Cup, Bathrat Leon was second to none Saturday, holding gamely to narrowly fend off Casa Creed.   Crossing and clearing from post 7 under Ryusei Sakai, Bathrat Leone went well around the bend and kicked at the top of the stretch as Casa Creed endured a more difficult journey. Racing near the rear of an 11-horse field, Casa Creed and jockey Luis Saez were forced into a wide turn run with no cover, but the game and versatile 7-year-old still came with a big run. Finding more after belatedly changing leads with about 300 meters to race, Casa Creed closed steadily on Bathrat Leon, but the wire came before Casa Creed could reach his target.  Yoshito Yahagi trains Bathrat Leon, a 5-year-old by Kizuna out of Bathrat Amal, by New Approach. Bathrat Leon landed an unexpected win last year in the Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup undercard. He’ll have that race as well as the Al Quoz Sprint as options next month in Dubai.  ***Saudi Derby  The American favorite Havnameltdown led every stride but the last four as Saudi-based Commissioner King upset the $1.5 million Saudi Derby.   The top two raced well clear of 11 others in this one-turn dirt contest over 1,600 meters, which proved a touch too far for Havnameltdown, who is a sprinter at heart. The 6-5 favorite, Havnameltdown took an early lead under Frankie Dettori, but Commissioner King and jockey Luis Morales shadowed him around the far turn and kept up the pressure into the homestretch. Havnameltdown held off Commissioner King to the 50-meter mark before the chasing horse narrowly wrested control to win by a head.   Both horses shortened stride noticeably as far as 300 meters from the finish but no closer could come get them. Japan-based Derma Sotogake finished best among the rest for third, getting to within 1 3/4 lengths of the winner at the wire.   Commissioner King ($27.40) won his debut over maidens by a wide margin in September, was third in his second start, and captured a $44,000 stakes race in Riyadh by four lengths on Dec. 16, his most recent race. Commissioner King is by Commissioner, out of Ek Haseena, by Songandaprayer. Commissioner King was bred in Kentucky and was purchased for just $9,000 at Keeneland’s January 2021 sale.  ***Neom Turf Cup   In the $1.5 million Neom Turf Cup, Mostahdaf, trained in England by John and Thady Gosden, turned in a huge performance, romping by seven lengths after taking massive international-pool wagering late in the betting. Always prominent under Jim Crowley, Mostahdaf ($5.70) cruised to the lead coming into the homestretch of this 1 5/16-mile turf contest and drew away with breathtaking ease. Dubai Future was the only other horse doing much running in the homestretch and finished second by 5 3/4 lengths over longshot Flying Visit.  Five-year-old Mostahdaf, hovering around Group 2 quality in Europe, last was seen bringing up the rear of a 20-runner field in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in November. Soft ground in France didn’t suit the horse at all, but firm going in Saudi Arabia proved very much to his liking. A Shadwell Estate Limited homebred, Mostahdaf is by Frankel out of Handassa, by Dubawi, and he just might be poised for a breakout season on the heels of this breakout performance.  ***Japan’s second turf winner on the card came in the $1.5 million Red Sea Turf, where favored Silver Sonic ($6.10) burst between horses in midstretch and drew away to a 2 1/2-length win over Enemy in a 1 7/8-mile staying race.   :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.