Sovereignty

Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who closed from last to first to capture Saturday's Coolmore GII Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, emerged as an exciting Triple Crown prospect in the first start of his 3-year-old season. "We were sort of hoping that was the way the race would pan out," Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock Michael Banahan said Sunday. "We didn't really know if he'd have enough ground to actually catch the horses on the lead with his running style, especially with the way the track seems to play for...

Visually, there was a lot to like about Sovereignty's last-to-first score in Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes. The Godolphin homebred by Into Mischief closed with a flourish from well back after giving up four paths of real estate on the far turn. He needed to make up four lengths on an in-the-clear leader with one furlong remaining over Gulfstream's short-stretch configuration for 1 1/16-miles races (finish line at the sixteenth pole), and Junior Alvarado expertly timed this Bill Mott trainee's kick to earn a neck victory over no-quit 'TDN...

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...

The GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth, the final prep for the GI Curlin Florida Derby held March 29, will headline a program laden with nine stakes, of which eight are graded, worth $2.15 million in purses next Saturday. The 79th running of the Fountain of Youth offers qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. Burnham Square, the GIII Holy Bull winner, is scheduled to clash with seven other 3-year-olds entered for next Saturday's feature. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is represented in the Fountain of...

From Godolphin's 12 starters in 10 renewals of the GI Kentucky Derby, favored Essential Quality (Tapit)'s promoted third-place finish following Medina Spirit (Protonico)'s medication disqualification in 2021 has been the best result to date. With four serious contenders--all homebreds--on target for upcoming Kentucky Derby preps and fresh off a fifth consecutive Eclipse Award as outstanding owner, could this be the year for Sheikh Mohammed's powerhouse global operation? "We've been there before and we've had chances," Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. "Who knows what's written in the stars,...

We're inside the 13-week mark to the GI Kentucky Derby with no seismic changes to the running order at this early stage of the season. The rankings are fairly evenly distributed among contenders based on both coasts and in Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana. 1) FIRST RESORT (c, Uncle Mo-Fair Maiden, by Street Boss). O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Eoin G. Harty. Lifetime record GSW, 4-2-1-0, $338,671. Last start: WON Nov. 30 GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. First Resort's 6-1 win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Nov. 30 rated as the most visually...

We're inside the 16-week mark for the May 3 GI Kentucky Derby. That's roughly 168,000 minutes until post time, but who's counting? The initial Top 12 rankings are largely based on 2-year-old form, but a speculative element is baked into the equation with an eye toward projecting how these still-developing contenders will blossom over the winter and early spring. 1) FIRST RESORT (c, Uncle Mo--Fair Maiden, by Street Boss) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Eoin G. Harty. Lifetime Record GSW, 4-2-1-0, $338,671. Last start: WON Nov. 30 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. This...

With the Kentucky Derby still 23 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of "All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2022 Foal Crop" closed as the 9-5 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager and recent debut winner Barnes (Into Mischief), from the barn of six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert, was the 13-1 second choice. Other horses who attracted interest from bettors include: GI Breeders' Futurity winner East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) (15-1); GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) (16-1); GIII Street Sense winner Sovereignty (Into...

Winless in two starts though he is, Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief) will have his fair share of backers from the outside stall in a field of 10 in Sunday's GIII Street Sense Stakes on opening day of the fall meet at Churchill Downs. A maternal grandson of GSW & GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic runner-up Mushka (Empire Maker), Sovereignty debuted as an 11-1 chance in the Travers Day maiden Aug. 24 won by 'TDN Rising Star' Tip Top Thomas (Volatile). Last of the 10-strong field after the opening quarter-mile,...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 10-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.69, ft, 5 lengths. ROOKIE CARD (c, 2, Adios Charlie--Glamalert, by Vindication) atoned for a pair of tough-luck losses in his first two trips to the post to take the Saturday opener at Aqueduct with a fair bit of authority. Drawn the fence as the 1-2 jolly, the $165,000 OBS June breezer was soon in front for Dylan Davis and had company to his outside in the form of the once-raced Atlal (Quality Road) through an opening couple of furlongs in...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. How stacked exactly was this year's Travers day 2-year-old maiden? Even the fourth-place finisher should be on your radar. In a race completely dominated on the front end, Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (c, 2, Into Mischief--Crowned, by Bernardini) kicked home impressively from last of 10 on debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott to stamp himself as one to watch. The 11-1 chance broke on top from...

Favored at 12-5 in the Travers Day dirt maiden that more times than not produces horses to watch down the road, Jim Bakke's Tip Top Thomas (c, 2, Volatile--Attempt To Name, by Consolidator) narrowly outlasted a couple of well-meant rivals to become the first 'TDN Rising Star' and eighth winner overall for his freshman sire (by Violence). A $160,000 purchase out of last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Sale, the Apr. 17 foal was coming into this debut off a pair of bullet half-mile breezes in which he outworked no fewer...