Juddmonte Farms, Inc.

Owner: Khalid Abdullah

Birthdate: 1937

Birthplace: Ta’if, Saudi Arabia

Residences: Fairlawne Estate, Kent, England; London, England; Saudi Arabia; Paris, Kentucky; farms in Kildare, Ireland; Newmarket, England; and Kentucky

Family: four sons

First cousin and brother-in-law of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and brother-in-law of the late King Fahd, Khalid Abdullah came to Paris in the 1950s, and later to London in the 1960s.

As a businessman, he owns one percent of JPMorgan Chase and Co. and founded the multi-national conglomerate Mawarid that now is run by his four sons. Mawarid is a group of 30 companies that run various business interests in construction, trading and export, electronics, Orbit satellite television, 50% ownership of American Express GCC, and has links to Yum! Brands, Revlon, Christian Dior, and other major brands. 

He began racing in 1977 by purchasing four horses. With the 1980 2,000 Guineas win of Known Fact, Abdullah turned to breeding, and began his dynasty with his classic winner at stud, although he says that the dam is the key. He talks to his managers every night and keeps the farms and racing stables on a budget, but makes it clear that racing is his hobby and not a money-making venture. From a relatively small number of horses for so many farms, he has won more than 150 Group 1 races, more than 125 by homebreds such as Flintshire, Emollient, Seek Again, Empire Maker, Banks Hill, Dancing Brave, and Frankel. Among his star broodmares is the great Hasili, dam of five Group 1 winners.

In 2016, Arrogate gave Juddmonte its fifth career Breeders' Cup win when he outfinished California Chrome to win the $6 million Classic. After the 2016 season, Juddmonte Farms was named the Eclipse Award winner as outstanding owner. Arrogate continued his brilliance for Juddmonte in 2017, winning the $12 million Pegasus World Cup and the $10 million Dubai World Cup to become the richest North American Thoroughbred of all time.