Tag: Godolphin

Tuesday’s Observations: Frankel’s Half-Brother Returns at Newmarket

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 include racing's biggest household name of recent memory in Frankel (GB) and the fellow G1 Champion S. hero Noble Mission (GB), as well as the smart Bullet Train (GB) and Joyeuse (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who has become a notable broodmare for the operation in her own right. Taking on the resident of Harry Charlton's base where Kind resided during her racing career is Godolphin's Kempton runner-up Creative Story (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), a son of the Oaks and Irish Oaks third Volume (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) and half-brother to the fellow Charlie Appleby-trained G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. and G2 Superlative S. hero Quorto (Ire) by Too Darn Hot's sire Dubawi (Ire).

 

13.20 Newmarket, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 5fT
HALLASAN (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) takes the eye as Godolphin's first-string representative in this opening juvenile race of the 2024 Newmarket season, being a son of the operation's star 2-year-old of 2019 and a precociously-bred £180,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale graduate whose listed-winning dam Fig Roll (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) has already produced the G3 Prix d'Arenberg winner Al Raya (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). Joining him in action is the fellow Charlie Appleby-trained newcomer Al Qudra (Ire) (No Nay Never), a 425,000gns Tatts Book 1 purchase whose dam was a sharp 2-year-old. Interestingly, one who is not bred to be in that mold is the Gredleys' Bretton Wood (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the first foal out of their high-class G1 Prix Morny and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. winner Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who hails from the James Owen stable.

 

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Encino Takes to Dirt, Wires Stonestreet Lexington

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 ship him over to Churchill in a few days regardless. I'll tell you it will either be the Derby or the Preakness. He's sitting at 21st on the list right now and some things would have to happen (to make the Kentucky Derby field). But we'll watch him. Hopefully, he comes out of (the Stonestreet Lexington) in good shape and we'll march forward.”

The 3-1 chance cleared the field of nine beneath Florent Geroux from his outside draw and led through fractions of :23.55 and :47.28. He kicked for home as the one to catch and gamely turned back a challenge from The Wine Steward in the stretch to get the money.

Encino made all three of his previous starts over the synthetic at Turfway Park, led by a win in the John Battaglia Memorial S. last time Mar. 2.

“There was a little bit of a question mark about whether he would like the dirt, but he handled it today,” Cox said. “He had a few works at Keeneland leading up to this race and showed his hand. He seemed like he liked the surface, and he put it all together today.”

Geroux added, “He broke like a shot. I was expecting more speed. It was pretty much all him to the first turn; he pretty much controlled the race from there. He was cruising around there, and when he felt The Wine Steward outside of him, it gave him a little extra push. I think that's what he needed because he was getting a little lost out there on his own. But he had plenty left in the tank, the dirt felt great, and it looks like added distance shouldn't be a problem for him.”

Pedigree Notes:

Encino becomes the 13th graded stakes winner for Nyquist. The winning Bernardini mare Glittering Jewel, a half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner and Darley stallion Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}), produced fillies by Street Boss in 2022-23. She was bred to Good Magic for 2024. The Nyquist x Bernardini cross is also responsible for GISW Gretzky the Great and unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos.

Saturday, Keeneland
STONESTREET LEXINGTON S.-GIII, $365,500, Keeneland, 4-13, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.93, ft.
1–ENCINO, 118, c, 3, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Glittering Jewel, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Bedazzle, by Dixieland Band
                3rd Dam: Majestic Legend, by His Majesty
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $235,600. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0,
$378,315. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Wine Steward, 118, c, 3, Vino Rosso–Call to Service, by To Honor and Serve. ($70,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG; $340,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher; B-Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC, Lakland Farm & Mark Toothaker (NY); T-Michael J. Maker. $57,000.
3–Dilger (Ire), 118, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Post Perfection, by Majesticperfection. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Michael J. Ryan; B-Demers Bloodstock (IRE); T-Saffie Joseph, Jr. $28,500.
Margins: 3/4, 8 1/4, HF. Odds: 3.31, 1.49, 36.38.
Also Ran: Secret Chat, Footprint, Liberal Arts, Hades, Lucky Jeremy, How's Ur Attitude. Scratched: Everdoit.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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Master Of The Seas A Convincing Winner of the Maker’s Mark Mile

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 debut on a rare sunny afternoon in Central Kentucky, Master Of The Seas gained a foothold at the fence and raced in the slipstream of pacesetting 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), though perhaps a fraction keen beneath William Buick through an opening quarter in :24.38 on ground officially listed as yielding, but riding significantly slower than that.

More or less into the box seat inside of 'Rising Star' and 2022 Maker's Mark winner Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) passing the half-mile in :49.20, Master Of The Seas traveled strongly on the turn, looking all over a winner assuming he was able to find running room when push came to shove. They lined up six across the course at the three-sixteenths, but Master Of The Seas went for a run underneath the weakening pacesetter in upper stretch and kicked on nicely to win off as much the best. Naval Power was a touch slow to begin, but split horses four off the inside with a bit better than a furlong to travel and came home well for second. Integration (Quality Road) came wide for the drive, but could not match strides with the Godolphin duo and settled for a never-nearer third.

Master Of The Seas joins the likes of Kip Deville and Wise Dan (2x) to have won the Maker's Mark subsequent to their Breeders' Cup Mile successes. Miesque's Approval won the 2006 Maker's Mark before upsetting that year's Mile at Churchill Downs. It was a first win in the race for Sheikh Mohammed's operation.

“When he's done as much winning as he has over here (in North America) on quick ground, you're always slightly dubious when the ground is as testing as it is out there today, but he does have past form on slower surfaces,” said winning trainer Charlie Appleby. “What I liked about it is that they (stablemates Master of The Seas and runner-up Naval Power [GB]) got into a nice rhythm around there. Naval Power unfortunately was a bit slow from the gate. (Jockey) William (Buick) got in a lovely (position) for (Master of The Seas). Once they came off the turn, all William needed was that gap to be able to give him the signal to pick up.”

Nearly three years ago to the day, Master Of The Seas was winning the G3 Craven S. at Newmarket before going down to a nose defeat at the hooves of Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the G1 English 2000 Guineas a few weeks later at British racing headquarters. Winner of the G3 Earl of Sefton S. in a single 4-year-old start, the bay was unseen again until taking out the G2 Zabeel Mile in Dubai in early 2023, but he was never a factor in the G1 Dubai Turf two months later.

The easy winner of the G2 Summer Mile over the straight course at Ascot last July, Master Of The Seas easily accounted for Shirl's Speight in Toronto in September, was outfinished by champion Up to the Mark (Not This Time) in the GI Keeneland Turf Mile over course and distance Oct. 7 and managed to conquer gate 13 of 13 in the Breeders' Cup Mile, pegging back the commonly owned Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) on the wire.

Appleby said that both Master Of The Seas and Naval Power would remain in the U.S., with the former likely for the GI Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 4. Both horses will summer in Saratoga, the trainer said.

Pedigree Notes:

Master of the Seas, one of 57 Group 1/Grade I winners for his legendary sire, is one of 10 winners from 12 to the races from his dam, a listed winner and runner-up in the 2002 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in France and later twice placed in this country at the graded level while under the care of Eoin Harty.

Firth of Lorne's G3 UAE Oaks-winning daughter Falls of Lora is  not only the dam of Godolphin's four-time Australian Group 1 winner Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), but also of Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the 2019 GI Summer S. at Woodbine, and Isle of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), a three- time listed winner in Bahrain this season. Another daughter of Firth of Lorne, Bint Almatar (Kingmambo), produced G1 Metropolitan S. hero Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Firth of Lorne's final foal is the 4-year-old filly Sithchean (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), victorious in her lone trip to the races over the Chelmsford all-weather in March 2023.

Friday, Keeneland
MAKER'S MARK MILE S.-GI, $517,775, Keeneland, 4-12, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:37.10, yl.
1–MASTER OF THE SEAS (IRE), 123, g, 6, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Firth of Lorne (Ire) (SW & G1SP-Fr, MGSP-USA, $163,189), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Kerrera (Ire), by Diesis (GB)
3rd Dam: Rimosa's Pet (GB), by Petingo (GB)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick.
$306,125. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Eur & Eng at
7-9.5f, 17-9-3-2, MGSW & G1SP-Eng, GSW & G1SP-UAE,
GISW-Can, $2,520,582. *1/2 to Latharnach (Iffraaj {GB}), SW &
G1SP-Eng, $217,472; Falls of Lora (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}),
GSW-UAE, SW-Eng, $246,417; and Etive (Elusive Quality),
SW-Ger, MSP-Fr, $126,693. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Naval Power (GB), 123, g, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Emirates Rewards
(GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin
(GB); T-Charles Appleby. $98,750.
3–Integration, 123, c, 4, Quality Road–Harmonize, by Scat
Daddy. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($700,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG).
O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, LLC;
B-Larkin Armstrong (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $59,250.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2 1/4, NK. Odds: 0.77, 5.80, 3.74.
Also Ran: Shirl's Speight, Emmanuel, Kubrick (Ire). Scratched: Du Jour, Equitize (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

 

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Jefferson Street Impressive For Godolphin In Sloppy Keeneland Graduation

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 the favorite behind GISP Be You (Curlin). Trying his shortest distance to date and facing a sloppy track for the first time against older horses, the 1-5 chalk sat just off the speed of Rock N Roll Bolt (Bolt d'Oro) and easily took over command from that rival as the top pair swung off the turn. Under a hand ride from regular rider Junior Alvarado, Jefferson Street cruised home in the mud to graduate by 9 lengths over 18-1 shot Accident (Tale of Verve). A homebred for Godolphin, Jefferson Street is out of a half-sister to MGISW and sire Frosted (Tapit) and a full-sister to GSW Indulgent. Another one of his dam's half-sisters produced MGSW/GISP Caramel Swirl (Union Rags). This is also the family of champion 2-year-old colt Midshipman (Unbridled's Song) and MGISP Solomini (Curlin). Apiary has a 2-year-old Nyquist colt and a yearling Maclean's Music colt but was not reported bred for this year. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-2, $81,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott.

 

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