Rebel's Romance

Globetrotting multiple Group 1 winner Rebel's Romance will defend his G2 Hardwicke Stakes crown at Royal Ascot next, according to trainer Charlie Appleby. The gelding was withdrawn from the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic prior to the race at the end of March. Appleby told the Press Association, "He's heading to the Hardwicke. I didn't think he could beat Calandagan (Gleneagles) in the Dubai Sheema Classic which is why we didn't take him over there for World Cup night and I think the Hardwicke is the right spot to start him...

Turbulente was a prophetic winner at Chantilly on Friday considering the events that would transpire less than 24 hours later across the Middle East. The Wertheimer-bred daughter of Australia from the family of a horse whose greatest exploits came in Australia - Americain (Dynaformer) - looks one to follow as the French Classic trials come around.  Super Saturday went ahead in Dubai amid early rounds of missile strikes and interceptions across the region as American and Israeli troops struck Iran and the inevitable retaliation ensued. Sheikh Mohammed demonstrated his own...

Meydan's Super Saturday card went ahead despite military action in the Middle East which saw a fire break out at Dubai's luxury Fairmont The Palm Hotel. US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on Saturday morning in what the two countries described as a "pre-emptive" strike against a Tehran government intent on developing nuclear weapons. The attack prompted retaliation from Iran, with missiles reported to have targeted Israel and countries across the Middle East. Veteran racing broadcaster Derek Thompson was at Meydan on Saturday and said "bangs and flashes" were visible....

Saturday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 20:35, AL MAKTOUM CLASSIC-G2, AED1,700,000, 4yo/up & SH 3yo, 2000m Field: Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A.P.), Mendelssohn Bay (Mendelssohn), Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Generous Tipper (Street Sense), Tap Leader (Tapiture), Masmak (Vino Rosso), Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Antrim (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) TDN Analysis: This course-and-distance lead-up to the G1 Dubai World Cup shapes pretty quick on paper and that should suit Heart of Honor right down to the ground. Winner of the Listed The Entisar...

Saturday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 20:35, AL MAKTOUM CLASSIC-G2, AED1,700,000, 4yo/up & SH 3yo, 2000m Field: Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A.P.), Mendelssohn Bay (Mendelssohn), Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Generous Tipper (Street Sense), Tap Leader (Tapiture), Killer Collect (Collected), Masmak (Vino Rosso), Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Antrim (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) TDN Analysis: This course-and-distance lead-up to the G1 Dubai World Cup shapes pretty quick on paper and that should suit Heart of Honor right down to the ground. Winner of the...

American and Japanese champion Forever Young (Real Steel) and the Longines World's Best Racehorse Calandagan (Gleneagles) lead the nominations for the Dubai World Cup night on March 28. Japan's dirt superstar is nominated for the G1 Dubai World Cup alongside 2024 winner Laurel River (Into Mischief) and 2025 winner Hit Show (Candy Ride), among others. In the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic is Calandagan, alongside 2024 Sheema Classic winner Rebel's Romance (Dubawi), GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond (Awtaad), and 2025 winner Danon Decile (Epiphaneia). Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black),...

Also honored in these same categories for 2024, Godolphin has been given the Eclipse Award for Best Owner and Best Breeder during Thursday night's ceremony. Godolphin both bred and raised 2025's GI Kentucky Derby winner and Champion 3-Year-Old Male Sovereignty (Into Mischief) along with GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro). They also picked up top-level wins with homebred Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). As owners, Godophin earned more than $22,395,556,...

The nominees for the 2026 G1 Saudi Cup meeting feature 57 Group/Grade 1 winners from 22 different countries, among them GI Breeders' Cup Classic and 2025 Saudi Cup hero Forever Young (Real Steel). The two-day stand on February 13-14 will be worth $39.6 million in prize-money. Besides trainer Yoshito Yahagi's star in the main event are fellow Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day), GI Preakness Stakes hero Journalism (Curlin), as well as GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile victor Nysos (Nyquist), and GII Clark Stakes winner Magnitude (Not This...

The TDN Writers' Room, which is presented by Keeneland, took a different route this week, handicapping every Breeders' Cup race. How did we do? We'll know late Saturday evening. Here are the highlights of the picks made by Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss. FRIDAY: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint: Predicting that Aidan O'Brien is going to have a huge Friday, Finley picked True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never), pointing out that the filly is coming off a Group I win in the Cheveley Park S. and looks to...

Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) and Notable Speech (Dubawi) look set to spearhead a top-class team for Charlie Appleby at next month's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, a meeting at which the Godolphin trainer has excelled since saddling his first winner in 2013. Appleby took his tally of Breeders' Cup winners to 11 at Del Mar last year when Rebel's Romance won the Turf for a second time, having also been successful at Keeneland in 2022. More recently, the seven-year-old gained the ninth top-level victory of his career when heading back Stateside...

Two-time Breeders' Cup winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made a victorious return to U.S. soil with an effortless victory in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct Saturday. Sent off at 3-5, the globetrotting veteran was under a snug hold while prompting Redistricting (GB) (Kingman {GB}) through an opening quarter in :24.78. He took control as the half went up in :49.26 and loped along on a clear lead through moderate splits from there. Let loose midway on the final bend, Rebel's Romance continued to find more down...

Champion Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who has a pair of GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf wins on his impressive resume, will return to U.S. soil to contest the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct Racetrack next Saturday. A $14-million earner for Godolphin, the homebred enters off a victory in Germany's G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin Stakes at Hoppegarten, an effort that followed a respectable third for the second consecutive year in Europe's top 12-furlong race of the summer, the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at...