Godolphin

East Avenue Works for Blue Grass

Godolphin's East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, tuned up for next Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes with a four-furlong work in :47.00 (7/106) at Keeneland Saturday. With Stephen Dolan aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh, East Avenue started two lengths in front of workmate Gosger (Nyquist), a 3-year-old maiden winner, and was three lengths in front at the wire. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.40. "It was just a maintenance work; he did all of his major work at Fair Grounds," said Paul...

[ Read More ]
Franco to Fill in For Alvarado On Sovereignty in Florida Derby

Manny Franco will accompany Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in Saturday's $1-million GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The New York-based jockey will fill in for regular rider Junior Alvarado, who sustained a shoulder injury in a racing mishap Sunday. Alvarado has been aboard the bay for all four starts, including a last-to-first victory in the Mar. 1 GII Fountain of Youth. Franco is currently atop the jockey standings at the current Aqueduct meet. "I can rarely get him. He's never been easy to get to ride, but I think...

[ Read More ]
Sovereignty Jockey Alvarado Injured, Sidelined

Jockey Junior Alvarado, who has ridden leading GI Kentucky Derby chance Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in each of his four career starts to date, will miss about three weeks after fracturing his shoulder blade in a Sunday accident at Gulfstream Park. Daily Racing Form was first to report the news. Alvarado's mount in Sunday's 10th race at Gulfstream Park, Term (Medaglia d'Oro), suffered a fatal heart attack, according to DRF, and the rider's agent Mike Sellitto told the publication that Alvarado was looking after his horse when he was clipped by...

[ Read More ]
Good Cheer Keeps The Good Times Rolling In Fair Grounds Oaks

Six starts. Six wins. Godolphin homebred Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) stamped herself as a force to be reckoned with in Louisville on the first Friday in May with yet another impressive win, this time in Saturday's GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Already a winner over the track and distance in February's GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes, the 2-5 favorite picked up her fourth straight win over the 1 1/16-mile distance. Breaking with the speed from the outside, Good Cher assumed a good stalking just off the pace as Ahavah (City of Light)...

[ Read More ]
Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds Oaks Go Through Cox Barn

A year after recording a GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby-GII Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks double with Catching Freedom and Tarifa, trainer Brad Cox will saddle the morning-line favorites in both races Saturday. The rail-drawn John Hancock (Constitution), a game wire-to-wire winner over next-out GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty (Speightstown) in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 8, will put his two-for-two record on the line in the Louisiana Derby. The WinStar Farm and CHC, Inc. colorbearer is the 7-2 program favorite. The stretch-running...

[ Read More ]
Five Things To Look Out For At The Curragh On Sunday

Find out what trainer says their charge has been "prepared to perfection" for the Irish Lincolnshire The Irish Flat season kicks off at the Curragh on Sunday and boy are we ready for it. The opening two-year-old maiden has been won by some top-notchers down through the years, including Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who went on to bag a breakthrough Group 1 success for the Amo Racing team.  There is no shortage of intriguing runners in this year's race, with first-season sires Space Blues (Ire), Lucky Vega (Ire),...

[ Read More ]
Catalogue That Oozes Quality Released For The Arqana Breeze-Up Sale

The catalogue for the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, which takes place between 8 and 10 May, has been released and features the progeny of world-class stallions Justify, Wootton Bassett (GB), Lope De Vega (Ire), Sea The Stars (Ire), Dubawi (Ire) and more. A total of 192 two-year-olds feature in the sale that was headed last year by recent UAE 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court (Justify), who was sold by Norman Williamson's Oak Tree Farm to Godolphin for €2.3 million. There are seven horses by Justify in this year's sale that features...

[ Read More ]
Saturday's Racing Insights: Full-Sister To Champion Gamine Hits The Tampa Track On Debut

3rd-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:18 p.m. ET. CHA CHA QUICK (Into Mischief) makes her first start for breeder Stonestreet. Out of SP Peggy Jane (Kafwain), the homebred counts as a full-sister champion female sprinter Gamine. The Brad Cox trainee hails from an extended female family which includes Canadian champion grass horse Dynamic Sky (Sky Mesa). TJCIS PPS 6th-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 2:55 p.m. ET. Another homebred exits the Tampa barrier in Godolphin's Playa Del Mar (Into Mischief). Trained by Bill Mott, the colt's dam is GISP Flor...

[ Read More ]
Triple Grade I Winner Master Of The Seas Retired

Multiple Grade I winner Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been retired from racing, Godophin announced on X. The homebred signed off with a tally in the GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland for trainer Charlie Appleby last April. "He had an exceptional career, winning a G2 on just his second start and retired a three-time G1 winner after victories in the Woodbine Mile, @BreedersCup Mile and the Maker's Mark Mile," Godolphin posted. "Master Of The Seas will now enjoy his retirement back at Kildangan Stud and become...

[ Read More ]
TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for March 6: Good Cheer Gets the Nod in East-West Battle

It was a busy weekend with GI Kentucky Oaks preps being run at Santa Anita, Aqueduct and Gulfstream. None of the winners did enough to crack the top four, but they all have a license to improve. We've dropped the bottom three from last week's list--Running Away (Gun Runner), Runnin N Gunnin (Gun Runner) and White Rocks (Frosted)--and replaced them with horses who appear to have more potential. It will be a quiet week as there is not a single stakes race for 3-year-old fillies that will be run this...

[ Read More ]
Breeding Digest: Sovereignty Extends Damsire's Dominion

Though one of his daughters lost the services of Magnitude (Not This Time) straight after his GII Risen Star romp, and another must send Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) in from the cold this weekend, once again last Saturday the extraordinary distaff influence of Bernardini loomed behind the big Derby rehearsals on either coast. True, the winners of both the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes and GII San Felipe Stakes were first and foremost repaying a seven-figure investment in their respective dams--each clearly having much else going for them. But the...

[ Read More ]
Sovereignty Goes Last To First In Coolmore Fountain Of Youth

Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief) kicked off his sophomore campaign in style with a dramatic, last-to-first victory in Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park, good for 50 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. Last of six and urged along by Junior Alvarado to keep pace through a half mile in :47.07, Sovereignty began to get going with a four-wide blitz on the far turn. Still with his work cut out for him in third as they straightened, the 3-1 third choice leveled off...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.