Godolphin

Ruling Court has been ruled out of Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby after trainer Charlie Appleby judged the ground to be too slow for the son of Justify. The 2,000 Guineas winner had been due to start as one of the favourites. "The ground conditions were a concern yesterday with Desert Flower. William said yesterday it was genuinely good-to-soft, but we appreciated that it was drying out through the course of the day," he explained. "We arrived here today with an open mind, let William ride the first race, but he...

Let go at odds just north of 9-1 for the customarily patient Bill Mott barn, Godolphin's Ragtime (Union Rags--Burmilla, by Storm Cat) went to hot favorite Endorse (Curlin) with less than a furlong to race in Friday's second race maiden at Saratoga and kicked home nicely to score by four lengths en route to a 'TDN Rising Star' badge. Drawn the rail for the Sovereignty connections, the homebred was away without incident beneath Junior Alvarado and made ground inside to sit just ahead of midfield and behind the four-strong leading...

Godolphin's£720,000 Goffs UK Breeze-Up graduate Maximized (Mehmas) delivered a TDN Rising Star display in his debut over six furlongs at Haydock last month and, burdened with a five-pound penalty for that initial victory, doubled his tally with a dominant performance in Friday's former stakes-level Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes at Epsom. The Cheveley Park Stud-bred lined up as the 6-5 favourite and was swiftly into stride to track the leaders in a share of third through the early fractions. Rowed along to gain an edge passing the quarter-mile marker, he...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Undefeated GI Kentucky Oaks heroine and Godolphin homebred Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) will put her perfect seven-for-seven record on the line as she takes on six rivals in Friday's GI DK Horse Acorn S. at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. The Acorn is one of six graded stakes races on Friday's 14-race program, which also features three other Grade I events--the GI Ogden Phipps S., a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar; the GI New...

2nd-SAR, 100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7f, 12:16 p.m. RESURGE (Constitution) is the latest offspring to the races for Juddmonte out of the champion mare Close Hatches who has already produced this runner's three-quarter Tapit siblings--Tacitus, 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla and Batten Down. Close Hatches herself is a full-sister to SW/MGISP Lockdown who has found success as a broodmare as well by producing dual champion mare Idiomatic (Curlin). The blue-blooded family also includes G1 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas victor Siskin (First Defence). Amongst those lined up to oppose her is...

One thing is certain: there's never been a May like it. Godolphin threw down the graded gauntlet in May with such an unprecedented and historic achievement surely no one dreamed it could be possible. A Classic double in America for the operation turned into a Classic quadruple on both sides of the pond, all in the same weekend. While that feat stands tall among the month's graded races, the rest of May did its part to deliver additional drama, special moments, and superb racing. We take a look at trends...

With possible afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast for Saratoga's Thursday card, Godolphin's Spirit of Hope (Street Sense) looks to draw in off the Main Track Only list in the 1 1/16-mile test. Out of Grade I winner Dance Card (Tapit), the Bill Mott trainee is also a half to MGSW Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro). The sophomore filly has been working steadily over the Oklahoma track in preparation for this career unveiling, including a most recent four-furlong move in :51 2/5 May 26. Also making her career bow, Summer Wind's Cleopatra's Key...

After the draw had been made for Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby in Epsom's Picture House on Wednesday, Team Godolphin were relieved that one box had been ticked regarding their G1 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court. Set to exit from a favourable stall in seven, the son of Justify now has only to navigate the race's notorious twists and turns and bottlenecks and stay the mile and a half. "We have always felt that the 2,000 Guineas is one of the best trials for the Derby and Ruling Court has trained...

Last week, 'Five Fastest Maidens' became six because of a fifth-place tie. This week, only four maidens met our minimum threshold of an 80 Beyer Speed Figure 4) KAPOOR, CD, 5-31, Race 4, 7 furlongs Beyer Speed Figure- 80 (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Kareena, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Godolphin; T-Bill Mott; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. She was Mott's second promising maiden to graduate on Saturday's strong Churchill Downs card, leading all the way after starting her career with third-place efforts at both Gulfstream and Keeneland. Godolphin bought dam Kareena for $400,000 from Jane...

GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) tuned up for his rematch with Derby runner-up and GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin) in Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes with a four-furlong work in :48.84 (3/17) over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Sunday. The Godolphin homebred, working solo under exercise rider Neil Poznansky, was caught by NYRA clockers through splits of :12 3/5, :24 2/5 and out in 1:02 flat and 1:16 3/5. "He went well," trainer Bill Mott said of the work. "We just wanted a nice breeze, in :48,...

4th-Churchill Downs, $117,750, Msw, 5-31, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.93, ft, 4 1/4 lengths. KAPOOR (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Kareena {SW, $148,000}, by Medaglia d'Oro) had strung together back-to-back third-place efforts in her first two jumps--Feb. 9 at Gulfstream Park and again Apr. 7 at Keeneland--and the betting public couldn't take their eyes off her here, crowning the Godolphin homebred the 6-5 favorite for her third attempt to graduate. Jostled around when leaving the blocks, she recovered quickly to dictate the tempo on an uncontested lead through :22.46 and a half in...

Given he was such an important horse for the Gosdens, it was fitting that the stable would provide Kingman's Dalham Hall resident Palace Pier with his first winner at Haydock on Friday evening. Godolphin's homebred colt Morris Dancer, who had been seventh in a hot Newbury maiden a fortnight earlier, was sent off the 7-4 favourite for the card's seven-furlong novice and after being patiently ridden by Robert Havlin was produced to overhaul Havana Gold's Gold Dawn approaching the final furlong and score by 1 1/4 lengths. 🔵 Morris Dancer...