Mike Stidham

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 12th-CD, $127K, Alw/OC, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 6:25 p.m. ET Just a mid-May foal, WISH YOU WELL (American Freedom) was purchased by Redwings for $160K at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase and improved into a $550K Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream juvenile after working a furlong in :10 flat (see below). The most expensive of her sire's 39 first-crop 2-year-olds reported as sold last year, Wish You Well made a giant impression in her career debut at Gulfstream Apr. 2, defeating the well-meant Inventing (Union Rags) by...

Last term's G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper--Music Note, by A.P. Indy) has been retired to Jonabell Farm, where he will stand the 2023 breeding season, Godolphin announced Thursday. A fee will be announced at a later date. "The decision has been made to retire Mystic Guide due to a soft tissue injury," Dan Pride, COO of Godolphin in America, said. "The timing unfortunately rules out his major summer and fall targets and as a result he will take up stud duties at Jonabell Farm. He proved himself...

The TDN Writers' Room's Joe Bianca, Bill Finley and Jon Green took a trip to Lexington to visit the historic Keeneland and talk to Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy, Chance Timm of Grovendale Sales and trainer Mike Stidham.

Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods' Olympiad (Speightstown) announced himself as a player in the handicap division with a fast-finishing score in the GIII Mineshaft S. last out at Fair Grounds, and will look for an encore as the favorite in Saturday's GII New Orleans Classic S. on the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby undercard. Graduating at second asking in September of 2020 at Saratoga while besting future stakes winners Caddo River (Hard Spun) and Greatest Honour (Tapit), the $700,000 Keeneland September buy was laid up for 364 days and...

Juddmonte's Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) captured the 2020 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar and looks to defend her title in Sunday's renewal. Last year's victory was her third straight and she kicked off this term with a fourth in Saratoga's De La Rose S. Aug. 8, an event she won last year. Scoring by a nose in Saratoga's GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 28, the bay could only manage sixth last time in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. Oct. 9. Trainer Chad Brown, who saddled three of the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-CNL, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:05 p.m. ET Lidstrom (Tapit), the fourth-priciest lot at the 2019 Keeneland September sale on a $2.5-million winning bid from Godolphin, makes his debut here for trainer Mike Stidham. The grey is a half-brother to none other than champion juvenile, GI Kentucky Derby winner and now top young Darley sire Nyquist. He shows an upbeat tab at Delaware Park for this first go. TJCIS PPs

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), off since winning the G1 Dubai World Cup in March, makes his stateside return in the GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park Saturday. The Suburban, a 'Win and You're In' race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will feature a rematch between the handsome chestnut and Happy Saver (Super Saver), who bested him by 3/4 lengths in last year's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. In addition to his runner-up effort in the Gold Cup last October, Mystic Guide's 3-year-old campaign also included a win in...

While trainer Mike Stidham isn't fully closing the door on a run in the GI Kentucky Derby for his pupil Proxy (Tapit), Saturday the colt will divert from the big-stage preps in an attempt for a confidence builder as he figures a prohibitive favorite in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. A second-out graduate Nov. 26 at Fair Grounds, the Godolphin homebred repeated in an allowance there Dec. 19 before passing the class test with a good second in the GIII Lecomte S. Runner-up in the GII Risen Star...

As of now, the only trainer to win four straight renewals of the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland is the late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel. Saturday, Frankel's future Hall of Fame protege Chad Brown will have a chance to equal his feat with a pair of contenders in the 1 1/16-mile turf test. Capturing the Jenny Wiley with Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in 2018 and Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in 2019 and 2020, Brown will be represented by Tamahere (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Etoile (Fr)...

On paper, the 25th running of the G1 Dubai World Cup looked a wide-open affair. At the end of a mile and a quarter on the Meydan dirt, however, it was the international favourite Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) who posted a straightforward and convincing victory for owner/breeder Godolphin and trainer Mike Stidham. It was a ninth win in the Dubai World Cup for Godolphin-and a first trained from the U.S.-and the 12th American-trained winner overall. The $12-million race with not without its drama, with two horses-Great Scot (GB) (Requinto {Ire}) and...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-Oaklawn, $106K, AOC, 4/up, f/m, 6f, post time: 5:40 p.m. ET Speedway Stables' AUBERGE (Palace) was named a 'TDN Rising Star' when decimating a field of Santa Anita maidens by 7 3/4 lengths at first asking in October 2019 before completing a Bob Baffert exacta behind Bast (Uncle Mo) in last year's GII Santa Ynez S. The Iowa-bred makes her first appearance since easily taking out a first-level allowance at Santa Anita 13 months ago and has joined the Mike Stidham shedrow, with several good-looking...

With over 2,000 wins and dozens of graded stakes scores on his resume, Mike Stidham has well established himself as a top trainer in this business. But as of yet, his stable hasn't quite found its breakout star--one that can take him to Breeders' Cup glory and maybe even an Eclipse Award or two. That may have changed with the arrival of Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) in Stidham's barn two years ago, as the Godolphin blueblood has steadily developed into a budding star, fresh off a jaw-dropping victory in the GIII...