By Alan Carasso
El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the lesser-preferred, less-accomplished and less-exposed part of an uncoupled entry for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, took his cue from Flavien Prat in upper stretch, split rivals on two occasions inside the final furlong and a half and dove across the line first to take out Saturday's GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga. With the victory, El Cordobes earns an automatic berth into the field for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar later this fall.
Exiting a victory in the G2 Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket on July 10, El Cordobes was a 4-1 shot in this first try at top-level competition and was able to secure an ideal early spot from the box seat in third, as Vote No (Divisidero) made the running in advance of El Cordobes's stablemate Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). The front-runner had company soon enough in the form of favored defending champion Far Bridge (English Channel), who was set alight by Joel Rosario after sitting three wide in the breeze early on and could have rolled to the front, but was content to stalk Vote No from second.
Glued to the fence for the run past the stands for the first time, El Cordobes continued to ride the rails in the slipstream of Far Bridge through the middle furlongs, as Vote No ensured a decent–if not breakneck–pace. El Cordobes traveled strongly into the final half-mile, but was taken a hold of by Prat on the turn and was shuffled back to near-enough last just as the real running was about to begin.
In the meantime, William Buick had gone for Nations Pride with a good three furlongs to travel, and it looked to have worked, as the 6-year-old pinched a good break heading for home. Taking a gap between Rebel Red (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and a weakening Far Bridge in upper stretch, El Cordobes knifed through another between Nations Pride and Rebel Red with the race in the balance and was home narrowly best.
“The way he ran there, you'd almost say he'll keep on improving,” said Chris Connett, assistant to Appleby. “Flavien [Prat] said he hit the line really well. He's the kind of horse we knew he'd hit the line hard, and it was just a matter of him getting out in the clear and Flavien was able to do that.”
A maiden winner over the Kempton all-weather in the first of just two appearances at three, El Cordobes placed twice in Meydan handicaps over the past winter before annexing a similar event over 12 furlongs on the 2000 Guineas undercard at Newmarket May 3. Third in Newbury's G3 Aston Park Stakes on a two-week back-up, he filled the same spot behind next-out Group 2 winner Al Qareem (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) in York handicap company going a mile and six furlongs June 14 and was celebrating his first success at group level in the Princess of Wales's last time.
Pedigree Notes:
El Cordobes is the 38th worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winner for his sire and his fifth on American shores. Frankel's late son Measured Time (GB) was beaten into second by Far Bridge 12 months ago. He is the eighth G1/GISW produced by a daughter of the outstanding Sea The Stars (Ire), who was coincidentally the sire of breeder Bjorn Nielsen's spectacular seven-times Group 1-winning stayer Stradivarius (Ire).
Offered by Lord Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber's Watership Down Stud during Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2022, El Cordobes was knocked down to Richard Knight Bloodstock on behalf of Godolphin for 2 million guineas ($2,279,118), the third-highest price of the auction. Another Watership Down-consigned son of Frankel out of Group 3 winner So Mi Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) topped the sale on Godolphin's bid of 2.8 million guineas.
El Cordobes is one of three winners from three to race out of a winning daughter of SW & MG1SP My Branch, the dam of G1 Sprint Cup victress Tante Rose (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}); SW & GSP Bay Tree (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) and the dam of MG1SW sire Make Believe (GB) (Makfi {GB}) and his dual Grade I-winning half-sister Dubawi Heights (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Bold Lass is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly Elida's Angel (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a 200,000gns ($268,938) purchase by David Ingordo from the Watership Down draft at TATOCT last fall and currently in training at Turfway Park, as well as a colt by Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) foaled Mar. 17.
EL CORDOBES earns his first Grade 1 victory, making it back-to-back graded stakes with a win in the @RWCatskills Sword Dancer under Flavien Prat for trainer Charlie Appleby and @godolphin! pic.twitter.com/UfvqzpvtHD
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 9, 2025
Saturday, Saratoga
RESORTS WORLD CASINO SWORD DANCER S.-GI, $750,000, Saratoga, 8-9, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:25.04, fm.
1–EL CORDOBES (IRE), 124, g, 4, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Bold Lass (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: My Branch (GB), by Distant Relative (Ire)
3rd Dam: Pay the Bank (GB), by High Top (Ire)
1ST GRADE I WIN. (2,000,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Bjorn Nielsen (IRE); T-Charles Appleby; J-Flavien Prat. $412,500. Lifetime Record: 10-4-2-2, $605,688. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rebel Red (GB), 122, h, 5, Frankel (GB)–Without You Babe, by Lemon Drop Kid. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (360,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services; B-Mr John Gunther (GB); T-Cherie DeVaux. $150,000.
3–Nations Pride (Ire), 126, h, 6, Teofilo (Ire)–Important Time (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $90,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 5 1/4. Odds: 4.00, 14.30, 3.65.
Also Ran: Utah Beach, El Rezeen, Far Bridge, Vote No, Padiddle. Scratched: Grand Sonata.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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