Second Chances: Cornishman ‘Could Be a Horse That We Can Be Talking About Through the Season’

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Cornishman (c, 3, Curlin–Penwith, by Bernardini) came flashing home to finish a bang-up second sprinting on debut on the GIII Lecomte undercard at Fair Grounds Jan. 20.

Off as the 3-1 second choice with his Brad Cox-trained stablemate Exploration (Curlin) receiving the bulk of the action at 3-2, the Godolphin homebred was bumped from both sides after exiting from post nine and trailed the field of 11 through an opening quarter in :22.40.

Cornishman caught the eye as he began to wind up from far back with a four-wide sweep beneath Florent Geroux on the far turn and was tipped out to the seven path as they straightened. He continued to motor powerfully down the center in the stretch and was clocked in a field-best final furlong of :11.97 to cross the line a length behind the Dallas Stewart-trained newcomer Bee Dancer (Bee Jersey). The aforementioned Exploration, a $900,000 Keeneland September graduate, just got tagged on the line by his stablemate for runner-up honors.

The final time for the six-furlong affair was 1:10.92. Cornishman earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“He's a horse that we've liked all along,” Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. “Just little juvenile stuff last year and we had to give him some time off. Once Brad (Cox) got him back in there, he was going well for him and he really liked him. We were very much looking forward to his debut and thought that he was a horse that showed plenty of potential in the morning.”

He continued, “He breaks good out of the gate, but that day, Florent (Geroux) said that he couldn't get him settled well enough. He was the last one in the gate, and when they pulled the latches, he wasn't ready for it. Taking all that into consideration–breaking last, having to go wide, etc.–we were extremely happy with the way he ran and how well he finished up with the trip that he had. And that was a race to get him started going three quarters. That's nothing of what he wants to do.”

Cornishman returned to the worktab with a four-furlong move in :49 (23/74) in New Orleans Feb. 2. He could see additional distance in his next start later this month, per Banahan.

“We're very excited about him going forward,” Banahan said. “Hopefully, we get to run maybe in mid-February–maybe Risen Star weekend if they have a one mile and a sixteenth or something (similar) down there. Very much looking forward to stretching him out and seeing what he could do. Very hopeful that he could be a horse that we can be talking about through the season.”

Hailing from a very active and deep female family, Cornishman is out of GSW & MGISP Penwith, a daughter of MGISW and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Composure (Touch Gold). The latter brought $3.6 million from Sheikh Mohammed's operation at the 2003 Keeneland November sale.

Penwith | Kenny Martin

Penwith is a full-sister to the unraced dam of last Friday's GIII Bayakoa S. winner Comparative (Street Sense) and MGSW Shared Sense (Street Sense); a half-sister to MGISP Centring (A.P. Indy), the dam of last term's GI Frizette S. runner-up Central Avenue (Street Sense); and a half-sister to GISP Tranquil Manner (A.P. Indy).

The Curlin x Bernardini cross has produced standouts such as MGISW Clairiere, GISW Paris Lights, MGSW Cezanne and GSW & MGISP Point of Honor. Cornishman is also bred similarly to Curlin-sired champions Stellar Wind, Malathaat and Nest.

Godolphin, of course, also bred and raced Curlin's recently crowned Horse of the Year Cody's Wish, who is set to begin his first season at stud for a fee of $75,000 at Jonabell Farm.

“He has the pedigree that if he goes on and progresses like we think he will, he'll have a shot at hopefully some nice races down the road,” Banahan said. “But let's get him there first. He has to break his maiden first.”

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Godolphin’s Classic Heroine Mawj Retired From Racing

Last year's brilliant G1 1,000 Guineas winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) has been retired, Godolphin announced on Wednesday. She will now join the operation's broodmare band having failed to sparkle on what proved to be her final racecourse appearance when finishing last of the nine runners in last month's G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Mawj was a high-class juvenile when her victories included the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. at Newmarket's July Festival. Last season, she won twice in Dubai before gaining the most prestigious success of her career when defeating the hitherto unbeaten Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the 1,000 Guineas, ultimately getting the verdict by half a length following a sustained duel between the pair.

That Classic victory on the Rowley Mile was followed by a five-month spell on the sidelines due to a setback, but Mawj proved all her ability remained intact when returning with two good efforts stateside in the autumn, first winning the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland before suffering a narrow defeat to Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

Mawj's Keeneland win was a 500th in Group company for Bin Suroor, who paid tribute to his stable star on Wednesday when saying, “Mawj is a very special filly, who showed her brilliance throughout her racing career. It was a fantastic day when she won the 1,000 Guineas and I was especially pleased that it was her who provided me with my 500th Group race victory out in Keeneland.

“She proved herself against the best horses across the world, winning in Dubai, the UK and the United States as well as finishing second in a Breeders' Cup Mile. Everyone at Al Quoz and Godolphin Stables is going to miss her but we look forward to the next stage of her life as a broodmare.”

Mawj joins her dam Modern Ideals (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who is proving a notable broodmare for Godolphin having also produced the Listed winner/Group 3-placed Modern News (GB) (Shamardal) and the five-time Group 1 winner Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi). Modern Games, who notably won at the Breeders' Cup in successive years when landing the GI Juvenile Turf in 2021 and GI Mile in 2022, stands for £30,000 in his first year at Dalham Hall Stud in 2024.

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Comparative Takes Them All the Way in Bayakoa

Breaking on top despite a slight bobble after the jump, Comparative (Street Sense) was headed only once in the GIII Bayakoa S., but put that rival away in the lane to hold off all comers in a gutsy performance to pick up her first graded win.

On a two-race win-streak coming into this contest after another dueled performance in the Ladies S. Jan. 6, and a winner to cap her 2023 season against New York optional claiming company Nov. 25 at Aqueduct, she was given a 6-1 chance by the betting public to repeat her performances.

Quick to show the way after recovering from the unsteady jump, she put up :24.07, :48.12, and 1:12.82 splits as GSW Shotgun Hottie (Gun Runner) breathed down her neck. Briefly headed by that one in the far turn, she regained her advantage coming into the straight. Turning away another two challenges in the lane, the wire could not have arrived fast enough, and Ice Orchid's final lunge came a half-length short. Misty Veil had to settle for third.

Pedigree Note
A full-sister to dual track-record setting GSW Shared Sense, Comparative has a pair of winning and placed elder brothers as well as a 3-year-old full-brother Kinetic. Dam Collective, herself a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Penwith (Bernardini) and MGSW & MGISP Centring (A. P. Indy), dam of GISP Central Avenue (Street Sense), produced a pair of Medaglia d'Oro offspring–a 2-year-old colt and yearling filly. She has no breeding on record for 2024. This is also the family of GISP Tranquil Manner (A. P. Indy).

Friday, Oaklawn
BAYAKOA S.-GIII, $250,000, Oaklawn, 2-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:44.81, ft.
1–COMPARATIVE, 121, f, 4, by Street Sense
           1st Dam: Collective, by Bernardini
           2nd Dam: Composure, by Touch Gold
           3rd Dam: Party Cited, by Alleged
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Manuel Franco. $135,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-0-3, $410,995. *Full to Shared Sense, MGSW, $577,435. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ice Orchid, 119, m, 5, Super Saver–Singlet, by Real Quiet. O/B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz. $45,000.
3–Misty Veil, 121, m, 6, Tonalist–Genuine Class, by Birdstone. ($210,000 6yo '24 KEEJAN). O-Resolute Racing; B-William Humphries & Altair Farms LLC (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $22,500.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.20, 8.00, 20.80.
Also Ran: Butterbean, Hot and Sultry, Shotgun Hottie, Just Katherine, The Alys Look, Skratch Kat.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Sea The Stars’s Legend Of Time Much The Best In Jumeirah Guineas

8th-Meydan, AED500,000, Cond., 2-2, NH & SH 3yo, 1600mT, 1:36.11, gd.
Godolphin celebrated their fourth winner of the day bearing the royal blue, as LEGEND OF TIME (GB) (c, 3, Sea The Stars {Ire})–Kissable {Ire} {G1SP-Ire, SW & GSP-US, $225,919}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) drew off to win the Jumeirah Guineas Presented by Lincoln Nautilus by two lengths on Friday. The penultimate race of the day over 1600 metres on turf, the race marked the third win in four starts for the Charlie Appleby trainee. Content to track the first flight glued to the inside, the bay dropped a few lengths behind on the backstretch as a withering pace was set up front by Azna (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) and Musical Act (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) while shadowed by Shamrock Glitter (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}). Shifting gears and with dead aim on the leading trio by halfway, Legend Of Time edged steadily closer with 500 metres to run. Swung out to produce his bid as Musical Act and Shamrock Glitter traded blows in the straight, the winner surged quickly past all comers to win easily. Athan (Arg) (Orpen) rallied strongly to take second with Shamrock Glitter hanging on for third, 4 1/4 lengths back. “He's a horse who has only improved,” said William Buick. “We always thought he would improve for stepping up to a mile and I think he'll be even more comfortable over 10 furlongs [2000metres]. Let's hope he can make all those necessary steps to put himself in that [Derby] picture. That's what these horses are there to do.” A winner at Haydock in September, he was fifth in the G3 Tattersalls S. later that month and made his 3-year-old bow a winning one when defeating Shamrock Glitter locally on Jan. 5. A half-brother to stakes winner and GI American Oaks third Amandine (GB) (Shamardal) and the G1 Prix de Royallieu heroine Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Legend Of Time has a yearling half-sister by Night Of Thunder (Ire) still to come. G1 St Leger/G1 Racing Post Trophy winner and sire Brian Boru (GB) (Sadler's Wells) is under the third dam, the G3 Park Hill S. victress Eva Luna (Alleged). Sales history: 150,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, AED512,002. Click for the ERA chart and video.
O-Godolphin. B-Lordship Stud & Sunderland Holding, Inc. (GB). T-Charlie Appleby.

 

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