Godolphin

Carrying a large weight of expectation along with TDN Rising Star status into Saturday's Turners EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at Newmarket, Godolphin's Desert Flower (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Promising Run, by Hard Spun) made what looked an easy assignment an extremely facile one to fully justify odds of 1-4. Always travelling smoothly for Billy Loughnane, the Charlie Appleby-trained daughter of the operation's five-time group 2 winner took control approaching two out, surged clear down the dip and tanked to the line for a 6 1/2-length success from Dash Of Azure...

There was no glass slipper, but the royal blue silks of Godolphin floated home the fairest of winners all the same as Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) claimed the second leg of the Turf Triple in the GII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes. With only one blemish on her record, Cinderella's Dream has carried said silks (dyed in a color also known--rather appropriately--as 'queen blue' or 'imperial blue') to six victories. She was a neck winner on unveiling last May at Lingfield and then steadily worked her way through the ranks...

The finalists and runners-up for the 2024 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards have been chosen in the seven categories for this year's renewal of the annual awards now in their ninth year in the U.S., said Godolphin in a press release on Thursday afternoon. The 2024 awards ceremony will once again be hosted by Keeneland and will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Finalists and their guest will be provided with travel and accommodations for out-of-town finalists, a tour of a local horse farm, and the ceremony dinner with an afternoon...

The once-beaten Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) will look to give Godolphin a third winner in the five-year history of the GII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes as she bids to add to her latest success in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational over the same mile-and-three-sixteenths journey July 6. The homebred ran the table in the first four starts of her career, a pair of victories at two followed by two more this season at Meydan, including a jaw-dropping score in the Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas Mar. 2 that defies any...

Putting his G1 St James's Palace Stakes flop firmly behind him, Godolphin's Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Swift Rose {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) rattled home in style to dominate Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. On the limit in William Buick's hands following the pace set by Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the Charlie Appleby-trained G1 2,000 Guineas hero was able to relax once placed in a pocket behind that 11-10 favourite and Sonny Liston (Ire) (Lawman {Fr})....

The 2023 National Award winners--humans and horses--which will be honored by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) were announced by that organization Tuesday afternoon. TOBA, which will hold the awards for the 39th year, will host the National Awards Luncheon to honor the winning breeders Friday, Sept. 6 at the Thoroughbred Club of America and the National Awards Dinner Saturday, Sept. 7 at Fasig-Tipton. Tickets are available for both events with registration due by Aug.  22. Click here for more information. "TOBA is honored to recognize the outstanding achievements...

Godolphin's €260,000 Arqana August graduate Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}--Setsuko {Fr}, by Shamardal), who came back off a June 13 debut triumph at Nottingham with a third-place finish in Newmarket's July 11 G2 July Stakes, stepped forward in impressive fashion to secure a stakes breakthrough in Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. The 2-1 favourite was slick from the gates and occupied a forward position along the rail in third through halfway. Biding his time in the straight, he was the last of seven to...

Big Ass Fans celebrated MGISW Cody's Wish (Curlin) at a ceremony to honor namesake Cody Dorman with Make-A-Wish Foundation, Godolphin at Jonabell Farm and special guests held July 25. Dorman, who first met Cody's Wish during a visit to Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm in 2018, immediately formed a life-long bond with the horse that lasted until Dorman passed in November 2023, one day after he watched Cody's Wish win a second consecutive GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. "Big Ass Fans was part of two of the biggest days...

7th-ELP, 71K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:52 p.m. EAST AVENUE (Medaglia d'Oro), a Godolphin homebred for Brendan Walsh, is the first foal out of an unraced Ghostzapper half-sister to Horse of the Year and MGISW Cody's Wish (Curlin). Second dam Dance Card, purchased by Godolphin as a 2-year-old for $750,000 and herself a Grade I winner, also produced MGSW Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) and SP Bocephus (Medaglia d'Oro). Lined up inside, Mesero (Not This Time) brought a tag of $535,000 for CJ Thoroughbreds and Della Nash at Keeneland September last year for...

There can be few six-time Group 1 winners that have as weird a profile as Ballydoyle's enigmatic Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), but as Ascot's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes approaches of course all eyes are on him once again. It was in this summer jewel 12 months ago that one of the best Derby winners of recent times was seen floundering even before the home turn before disappearing from view, a scene that would normally represent a fall from grace. But where we are...

Godolphin newcomer Ruling Court (Justify--Inchargeofme {GB}, by High Chaparral {Ire}) caused a stir when knocked down for a sale-topping €2.3-million at Arqana's Breeze-up sale in May and made another huge splash with an imperious performance to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette in Thursday's Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes at Sandown. The seven-furlong contest has earned its status as an important staging post with recent winners including Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Kameko (Kitten's Joy). Ruling Court becomes the ninth...

3rd-Ellis, $71,000, Msw, 7-22, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.81, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. PONDERING (f, 2, Hard Spun--Always Thinking {SW, $162,638}, by Street Sense) debuted as advertised, breaking as the 4-5 favorite facing six rivals of which five were fellow first-time starters. Close to the lead while pressuring Pax Americana (War Front) and Electrifying Lady (Practical Joke) to her inside, the homebred stayed three wide throughout, swept up past those runners off the turn and easily took to the front, finishing strongly while kept to task by jockey Luan Machado...