Prince Ahmed Salman, whose Thoroughbred Corp. races Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem.
Though Prince Ahmed Salman's War Emblem is going for the Triple Crown at Belmont Park on Saturday, the Saudi owner is not in attendance. A spokesman for the prince's Thoroughbred Corp. confirmed Saturday afternoon that Salman was in Saudi Arabia and not in New York."He had some family obligations he had to take care of," Richard Mulhall, president of The Thororoughbred Corp., said. "He took too much time at the Derby and Preakness and needed to take care of some family obligations.Mulhall spoke to the media after word spread through the racetrack that Salman was not in attendance.Salman returned to Saudi Arabia immediately after the Preakness. Mulhall said he was informed Friday that Salman would not attend."Everything was all set for him to come. He just couldn't get here," Mulhall said."It is with great regret that he couldn't be here," Terrence Collier of The Thoroughbred Corp. said. "It had nothing to do with security concerns."The prince's younger brother, Faisal, was in attendance at Belmont."If there was a security concern, he would not have sent his brother," Mulhall said.Salman pointed out that Salman did not attend last year's Preakness won by his Point Given.
