Bob Baffert earned his first Saudi Derby Cup (G3) victory Saturday evening at King Abdulaziz Racecourse when Pinehurst held off the late charge by Sekifu (JPN) by a half-length in the $1.5 million race for 3-year-olds.

Shipping to the Middle East off his second-place finish in the Jan. 29 San Vicente S. (G2), Pinehurst broke well in Saturday’s one-mile race, going right to the front under Flavien Prat. He got a bit of a rest break on the turn, then was put to task turning for home. Though he was on his wrong lead the entire stretch run, Pinehurst was all heart down the lane, finding just enough to get the victory.

“We came over here with a serious horse, he just needed to handle everything well,” said Baffert’s long-time assistant Jimmy Barnes. “It’s a closers’ track, luckily he had enough heart to hold off the Japanese runners.”

Pinehurst, who won last year’s Del Mar Futurity (G1), could be headed to the UAE Derby (G2) next month in Dubai according to Barnes.

Pinehurst, owned by a partnership headed by SF Racing LLC, became Thoroughbred racing’s newest millionaire with the win.