Godolphin

Godolphin's Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Innevera {Fr}, by Motivator {GB}) had won one of five overseas starts since annexing last term's G3 bet365 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket and made a winning European return with back-to-back victories in Wednesday's latest renewal of the nine-furlong test. The gelded 5-year-old backed up last term's success with a win in Belmont's GII Fort Marcy S. before hitting the board in June's GI Manhattan S. back in New York. He then returned off a sabbatical to place in Meydan's G2 Al...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Charlie Appleby, who takes aim at a fourth victory in the Bet365 Craven S. on Thursday with Native Approach (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), took advantage of the Rowley Mile early on Wednesday morning to give one of his Derby prospects, Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), a racecourse gallop. The winner of the G3 Zetland S. at the course last October, Arabian Crown, ridden by William Buick, worked over seven furlongs alongside his older stable-mate King Of Conquest (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and James Doyle. "He...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features Kikkuli, a half-brother to champion and leading sire Frankel.   16.05 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 3yo, c/g, 7fT KIKKULI (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a key player in this often-informative Alex Scott Maiden, as the eighth foal out of Juddmonte's diamond mine Kind (Ire) (Danehill). Her previous septet...

Godolphin homebred Encino (Nyquist) took to dirt with aplomb, delivering a 3/4-length, wire-to-wire victory over favored The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso) in Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. With the win, good for 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Encino is currently ranked 21st on the leaderboard with 40 points. "Ultimately (whether he starts in the Kentucky Derby) will be up to the Godolphin team--Dan Pride, Michael Banahan, Sheikh Mohammed--and if it's something they want to do, we'll prepare him," winning trainer Brad Cox said. "We'll...

Making his fourth straight appearance on the North American continent, Godolphin's Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) overcame easy underfoot conditions and five other rivals to add Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile to his previous victories in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile when last seen at Santa Anita last November. Naval Power (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), conversely racing for the first time on these shores, completed the exacta for the 'Boys In Blue.' Sent off at 77 cents on the dollar while making his 6-year-old...

4th-Keeneland, $95,050, Msw, 4-11, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.65, sy, 9 lengths. JEFFERSON STREET (c, 3, Street Sense--Apiary, by Bernardini) proved the third time was the charm, breaking his maiden in his Keeneland debut Thursday. Unveiled at Saratoga last summer, we finished third but notably ten lengths behind the winner, next-out GI Champagne S. runner up General Partner (Speightstown). On the bench for the rest of the year, the homebred returned at Gulfstream to again be third but showed an improved effort, earning a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in defeat as...

Following his dominant victory in the G1 Dubai World Cup, Juddmonte Farms' homebred Laurel River (Into Mischief) is at the top of the second edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2024 with a rating of 128. The 6-year-old was never threatened in the World Cup, romping home by 8 1/2 lengths over Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre) (120 on the Longine rankings), with Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) (121) a neck back in third. Laurel River came into the race having won the G3 Burj Nahaar by 6 3/4 lengths...

Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin) was named 2023 Kentucky-bred Horse of the Year and older dirt male, while his dam, Dance Card (Tapit), was named broodmare of the year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders. Godolphin also received awards for Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) as champion 3-year-old filly and as KTDF Owner of the Year and winner of the P.A.B. Widener Trophy as KTOB Breeder of the Year. Other Kentucky-bred champions announced Wednesday: 2-year-old male: Fierceness (City of Light) (Breeder Repole Stable); 2-year-old filly Just F Y I (Justify) (George...

Prep season for the GI Kentucky Oaks is over and we have a pretty good idea of who is going to be in the race and which ones are the horses to beat. With three major preps--the GI Ashland S., the GII Santa Anita Oaks and the GIII Gazelle S.--all run over the weekend, there was plenty of movement in our Top 10. But the very solid Tarifa (Bernardini) maintains the top spot for Brad Cox. Here's a look at the latest installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top Ten: 1)...

Godolphin's Romantic Style (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) made her seasonal return a successful one and downed 'TDN Rising Star' Ramatuelle (Justify) to become her connections' first winner, in a thrilling renewal, of Deauville's G3 Prix Imprudence. The 37-10 third favourite, who shed maiden status at Great Yarmouth in September before winning the Listed Bosra Sham S., was positioned second in the far-side group and raced in an overall fifth through halfway in this seven-furlong distaffers' Guineas trial. Looming large out wide with 300 metres remaining, she quickened to the...

With the European Classics around the corner, expect an explosion of activity over the next few days beginning at Deauville on Tuesday with the G3 Prix Imprudence and G3 Prix Djebel. TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) lines up in the former, stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time after a storming juvenile campaign that saw her take the G2 Prix Robert Papin and G3 Prix du Bois and finish a narrow second to Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G1 Prix Morny here in August. Godolphin's Listed...

Godolphin's Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Swift Rose {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) entered the old Easter Stakes at Kempton on Saturday with a two-for-two record and a glowing reputation and exited as TDN Rising Star with a performance that oozed class. Held up last of the quintet early by a confident William Buick, the 4-7 favourite was slipped through the gaps to overwhelm Ralph Beckett's Derby entry Valvano (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) inside the final furlong and surge to a two-length success. The Hannon runner Persica (Ire) (New Bay...