Godolphin

The current stallion manager at Darley in America Jimmy Lovatt has been on the Godolphin team since 2007, and he describes his journey with "the Royal Blue" on this week's Boundless podcast with jockey-veterinarian Ferrin Peterson. The Australian native was bitten by the horse bug as a child. "My parents bought a pony for me when I was five years of age," Lovatt tells Peterson. "I grew up in a riding school. I guess I fell in love with horses back then. In 2001, when I was back home in...

What a ride. What a feeling. What an unbelievable journey to play a part in Florida's racing legacy. I couldn't be more proud of Bridlewood graduates finishing 1-2 in the 2025 Kentucky Derby--and another in the top 10 with East Avenue. Now that I've had a moment to reflect, I can say with certainty: this finish wasn't luck. It was a testament to Florida's standing as a hub for racing excellence. Florida, and particularly Ocala, has long been a cradle for champions. With abundant sunshine, ideal soil, mineral-rich spring water,...

GI Kentucky Derby victor Sovereignty (Into Mischief) arrived early Thursday morning at Saratoga Race Course to begin his preparations for the GI Belmont Stakes June 7. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for owner/breeder Godolphin, the bay shipped from Churchill Downs and arrived around 7:30 a.m. ET to the barn of the veteran conditioner, along with recent Churchill runners 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit) and Resilience (Into Mischief). "He came off the van like a tiger," said Mott. "He's had good energy for a horse that just ran a...

Deauville, FRANCE-The breeze-up circus rolls onto Arqana this week and, following the breeze on Thursday, where 162 of some of the best-bred horses in Europe were put through their paces, a number of key industry stakeholders weighed in on what might come to fruition this week.  From market predictions, to revealing their highs and lows of the breeze-up season thus far, heavyweights Roger O'Callaghan, Roderic Kavanagh, Tessa Greatrex, Valfredo Valiani and Matt Coleman have answered some of the key questions ahead of what promises to be another blockbuster sale on...

Bidding on the Fasig-Tipton Digital May Sale, which includes a catalogue of 127 entries, is now open and will close Tuesday beginning at 3 p.m. "This is a very strong and diverse catalogue, with exciting offerings in a variety of categories," said Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales Leif Aaron. "We have nearly 50 horses of racing age from the sport's leading stables, including a stakes winner and graded stakes performers. Also on offer are the continuance of a major stable's reduction, a dispersal, quality breeding stock, 2-year-olds in training, yearlings,...

We all found ourselves in the court of one ruler last weekend, but it would be wrong to treat the kind of transatlantic sovereignty charted by four Classic winners inside 48 hours, either side of the water, as an automatic outcome of greater aggregate expenditure than any program in Turf history. Nobody knows that better than Sheikh Mohammed and his Godolphin team. He has been trying to dovetail his wealth and his passion, both obviously off the charts, for nearly half a century. (He had his first winner at Brighton,...

Godolphin's GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) will bypass the May 17 GI Preakness Stakes, according to a release from Pimlico Race Course Tuesday afternoon. "We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness," Mike Rogers, executive vice president of 1/ST which operates Pimlico, said in the statement. "Bill informed us they would point toward the GI Belmont Stakes. We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision. We continue to see the excitement building toward...

Godolphin's homebred 3-year-old Cualificar (Lope De Vega) made a stakes breakthrough in last month's G3 Prix La Force and doubled his pattern-race tally with a dominant 1 1/4-length success in Tuesday's G3 Prix de Guiche at Chantilly. The even-money favourite broke well and shadowed the pace in second through halfway in this nine-furlong G1 Prix du Jockey Club trial. Cruising to the front approaching the quarter-mile marker, he was stoked up with 350 metres remaining and kept on powerfully in the closing stages to comfortably hold the late threat of...

With Derby weekend in the books, we take a look back at the graded races in April that led us there. The month did not disappoint with great racing from coast to coast, although Keeneland, as per usual, was the star of the show. If the top of the sport is measured by graded races, few race weeks are as packed with quality or as anticipated as the boutique meets at Keeneland. With an inevitable focus on the Lexington track, we look at trends and notable items from the country's...

We've seen a Classic double double, but could we now see a double Triple Crown bid for Godolphin? The quest for the Triple Crown is usually more of 'a thing' in America, though its compact five-week challenge draws consternation from some quarters, and Bill Mott is biding his time before committing Sovereignty to a run in the Preakness Stakes on May 17.  Though the American Triple Crown is a more marketable concept than the sprawling near-five-month challenge that has remained unfulfilled in Britain for 55 years, certainly the Derby had...

Yes, Bill Mott was loyal to Junior Alvarado, letting him ride Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby after he missed the main prep in the GI Florida Derby. Alvarado fractured his shoulder blade in a Mar. 23 spill at Gulfstream and was sent to the sidelines. Manny Franco filled in for the Florida Derby and rode a fine race, guiding Sovereignty to a second-place finish. That opened the door to a number of possibilities. Mott could have kept Franco on the horse or he easily could have enticed...

One day removed from a big win with Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby, the media converged on Bill Mott's barn on the Churchill Downs backside Sunday Morning. Accompanied by Godolphin's Michael Banahan, Mott indicated the colt exited the 10-furlong Classic in good order, however, had also sustained 'a small scrape--about four inches' on his right front pastern during the early part of the race. "He did sustain a little scrape on the outside of his pastern, most likely leaving the gate," Mott said Sunday. "He broke and...