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Charlie Appleby Crowned International Trainer Of The Year

Charlie Appleby was crowned International Trainer of the Year for a fourth time at today's Horserace Writers & Photographers Awards (HWPA) at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The award, which has been sponsored by the International Racing Bureau since 1981, was presented by Adrian Beaumont.

Appleby was joined by Ralph Beckett, John and Thady Gosden and William Haggas on the contenders list, but it was Appleby who came out on top.

Charlie Appleby once again has had a fabulous season both in the UK and internationally. Horses hailing from his Moulton Paddocks base in Newmarket contested ten North American Grade 1 races during 2021 and won no less than eight of them, twice being followed home by a stablemate. Throw in the Jockey Club Derby at Belmont, a Grade 1 in all but name won by Yibir, and Appleby had an incredible nine big transatlantic triumphs during the year.

His crowning glory was, of course, the Breeders' Cup, where three of his four horses that did start at Del Mar came home in front, landing arguably the meeting's three most prestigious turf contests. His wins around Europe throughout the year were also impressive. Hurricane Lane took both the Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris before his gallant Arc third; Space Blues landed the Prix de la Foret; and, over the Irish sea, Native Trail gave his handler a third National Stakes victory at The Curragh in the past four years.

International racing has once again been hugely popular with UK trainers. Remarkably, given the negative impact of Covid upon international travel, 2021 could yet become the highest grossing year ever in terms of overseas prize money earned by British trainers. At the time of writing, the total is a little shy of the blockbusting £29.7m accrued in 2018 but it is already the second largest tally. And, given the riches on offer at the Longines Hong Kong International meeting this coming Sunday, the £30 million barrier could yet be broken.

Adrian Beaumont said: “It has been an amazing year for international racing, especially given the extra protocols caused by Covid. British based trainers have won major races in Bahrain, Canada, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the States as well as throughout Europe. It is remarkable that John and Thady Gosden won the world's richest race, the Saudi Cup with Mishriff, but didn't win our award due to Charlie Appleby's stellar season.”

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Godolphin Wins Fourth Straight John Deere Award For 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships

Strengthened by victories from homebreds Modern Games (IRE), Space Blues (IRE) and Yibir (GB), for the fourth consecutive year Godolphin has won the John Deere Award, honoring the outstanding breeder of the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships and the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The John Deere Award, presented by Breeders' Cup Limited and NTRA Advantage, emphasizes the contributions of breeders to the Breeders' Cup program. The industry's breeders and nominators provide funding for the purses of the World Championships through the annual nominations of foals and stallions.

NTRA Advantage and John Deere will award a John Deere TS Gator Utility Vehicle to Godolphin.

The John Deere Award winner is determined by the breeder who received the highest number of first-place finishes in the 86 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series stakes races held in 10 countries, and in the 14 Breeders' Cup World Championships races (13 Grade 1 races and 1 Grade 2 race), which was held on Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif. Each Grade/Group 1 win was worth 10 points; Grade/Group 2 wins were worth six points; Grade/Group 3 wins were worth four points; and listed stakes wins were worth two points.

Godolphin-bred runners earned 68 points by breeding winners of three Breeders' Cup World Championships races and five Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races. Northern Farm, from Japan, finished second in the competition with 40 points, and St. George Stables finished third with 36 points.

In accumulating its 68 points, Godolphin's three Breeders' Cup Champions, all sired by Dubawi (IRE), led the way with Modern Games winning the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), Space Blues capturing the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1), and Yibir taking the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). Prior to the World Championships, Godolphin began its march to the 2021 John Deere Award in June with a string of five Breeders' Cup Challenge Series victories. First, Maxfield won the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, and one month later at Ascot, Adayar (IRE) won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1). In September, Godolphin garnered three Breeders' Cup Challenge races on one weekend. On Sept. 18 at Belmont Park, Yibir earned an automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf when he won the listed Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes. The following day at Woodbine, Godolphin collared two more “Win and You're In” races, taking the Natalma Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old fillies with Wild Beauty (GB) and the Summer Stakes (G1) for 2-year-olds with Albahr (GB).

“We congratulate Godolphin on their extraordinary group of progeny which led them to their fourth consecutive John Deere Award, and a record three wins by homebreds at the World Championships,” said Dora Delgado, Breeders' Cup Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer. “Godolphin's success is emblematic of their longtime commitment to international breeding and racing. We thank them and all participating breeders for their enormous support, which has been vital to the sustained growth of the Breeders' Cup program over the past 38 years.”

“We also thank John Deere and NTRA Advantage for joining us in placing the breeding community in the spotlight by sponsoring this award,” added Delgado.

“Godolphin is delighted to once again be the recipient of the Breeders' Cup/John Deere breeder award,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin Director of Farm Operations. “The industry is indebted to John Deere for the sponsorship of the Breeders' Cup for many years and so grateful for their continued support. This award goes to all the Godolphin personnel that work incredibly hard behind the scenes to achieve the fantastic results we have had with our homebreds on the track this year.”

“On behalf of John Deere, congratulations to Godolphin as 'Outstanding Breeder of the Year' for the fourth consecutive year at the Breeders' Cup World Championships,” said Auston Till, Manager Partner Sales, John Deere Ag & Turf. “Like John Deere, Godolphin epitomizes excellence. Nowhere was that more apparent than at this year's World Championships, where Godolphin won three races on Thoroughbred racing's biggest stage! As we traditionally do each year, we are thrilled to award Godolphin a John Deere Gator™ Utility Vehicle for this outstanding accomplishment.”

Finishing second in the John Deere Award competition, Northern Farm led Japan's breakthrough at the 2021 Breeders' Cup with its progeny winning two races: Loves Only You (JPN) captured the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and Marche Lorraine (JPN) won the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Northern Farm also bred Breeders' Cup Challenge Series winners Gran Alegria (JPN), who claimed the Victoria Mile (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse and Chrono Genesis (JPN), who won the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin.

The outstanding 5-year-old mare Letruska accounted for all 36 points accumulated by third-place finisher St. George Stables. Letruska won four Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races, taking in succession the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, and the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

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For Breeders’, Dubawi Stands Alone

Dubawi (Ire) has long been established as a sire of international merit. This weekend at Del Mar, however, he took his reputation to another level, siring three winners at the Breeders' Cup-something never before achieved by a sire in the meeting's 37-year history.

Twelve sires have supplied two winners in a single Breeders' Cup. That was first accomplished by Cox's Ridge in the second Breeders' Cup in 1985 when Life's Magic took the Distaff and Twilight Ridge the Juvenile Fillies. Four other sires did it when the Breeders' Cup was a single-day event: Nureyev in 1987 with Miesque and Theatrical (Ire); Kris S. in 1993 with Hollywood Wildcat and Brocco; Sadler's Wells in 2003 with High Chaparral (Ire) and Islington (Ire); and Awesome Again in 2004 with Ghostzapper and Wilko.

Since the Breeders' Cup became a two-day event in 2007, seven more sires have joined the ranks of turning out two winners in a single year. The seemingly ageless More Than Ready earns first mention, having done it twice, in 2010 and 2017. More Than Ready remains the Breeders' Cup's leading sire by winners, with a cumulative seven, edging out Sadler's Wells and Unbridled's Song with six apiece.

Smart Strike notched a high-profile double at that first two-day Breeders' Cup at Monmouth Park with Curlin in the Classic and English Channel in the Turf. Chester House added his name the following year and was then joined by Mizzen Mast in 2012, City Zip in 2014 and Medaglia d'Oro in 2017. Into Mischief was the most recent sire to pull off the double with Authentic and Gamine in 2020.

And then, along came the Dubawis (and their trainer Charlie Appleby, jockey William Buick and owner/breeder Godolphin) to Del Mar to tear apart the history books. Modern Games (Ire) got things going (in admittedly dramatic fashion) to give his trainer a third win in eight years in the Juvenile Turf. Like Modern Games, Space Blues (Ire) was sent off favourite for the Mile and delivered a seamless victory under Buick. The third of the trio, Yibir (GB), however, didn't allow connections to breathe easy in the Turf, pulling hard out of the gates and fighting Buick before finally settling in a joint last after a few furlongs. Yibir began to wind up heading into the last of three turns and–as his stablemates had done while sitting closer to the pace-employed a sustained rally to wear down his rivals.

The Breeders' Cup was a jewel in the crown of a remarkable season for Dubawi, during which he has had stakes winners in seven countries. His tally of 37 stakes winners in 2021 is greater than any other sire standing in Europe or America, with Into Mischief-the only sire bettering him by prizemoney-next at 26 and Frankel third on 24. Dubawi also leads all European and American sires in 2021 by group winners (23) and is tied with Frankel on six Group 1 winners.

As is typical for Dubawi, his six Group 1 winners this year have been versatile distance-wise, ranging from six furlongs up to a mile and a half. Rebel's Romance (Ire) was an eye-catching winner of the G2 UAE Derby on the dirt, and he is one of 23 stakes winners for his sire on that surface. The likes of Prince Bishop (Ire), Monterosso (GB), North America (GB), Lucky Nine (Ire), Mubtaahij (Ire) and Hunter's Light (Ire) are further proof that Dubawis act on the dirt, and it would be fascinating to see if Dubawi could extend his Breeders' Cup dominance down the road with a few runners pitched onto the dirt.

As for Appleby, his accomplishments this weekend likewise deserve examination in a historic context. Richard Mandella set the mark for a trainer when winning four races on the single-day Breeders' Cup card at Santa Anita in 2003, and 17 years later Brad Cox equaled that tally at Keeneland last year. Chad Brown has twice sent out three Breeders' Cup winners in a meeting, in 2014 and 2019, and Todd Pletcher accomplished the feat in 2010. It is also worth noting that, with the highly unlikely double gate scratch of Appleby's Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Walton Street (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the Turf was Appleby's only Breeders' Cup starter that did not win. The last-out GI Canadian International winner finished ninth behind Yibir.

So Appleby-in his best year yet as a trainer–joins elite company. It is fair to point out, too, that no other trainer has provided three Breeders' Cup winners in a weekend all by the same sire, though two of Pletcher's three in 2010 were by that Breeders' Cup sire extraordinaire More Than Ready, who he also trained. More Than Ready is also one of four of the 13 sires with multiple Breeders' Cup winners in a year to have them on both dirt and turf-the others are Medaglia d'Oro, Smart Strike and City Zip.

Dubawi will turn 20 in the New Year, and will stand his 17th season with Darley, all but one of those being at Dalham Hall. The stallion that started out at £25,000-and dipped to £15,000 before his first runners hit the track-has continued to write his extraordinary story through each passing season, and there is every reason to think there is plenty still to come.

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Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Fourth Consecutive Shoemaker Award For Outstanding Jockey At BC

Irad Ortiz Jr. won his fourth consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who won the most races in the 14 World Championship races this weekend with the tiebreaker being a 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes.

Ortiz and William Buick both won three races, but Ortiz also had a runner-up finish and three fourth-place finishes while Buick finished fifth with his only other mount.

Ortiz won the first Championship race of the weekend on Twilight Gleaming (IRE) in the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and then added Saturday victories in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with Golden Pal and the G1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with Life Is Good.

Buick also had one victory Friday on Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and then two on Saturday with Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Turf.

Two other riders posted multiple wins: Joel Rosario and Jose Ortiz.

Rosario took the richest race of the weekend, the $6 million G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with Knicks Go and Friday's G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies with Echo Zulu.

Ortiz's victories came on Pizza Bianca in Friday's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Aloha West in the G1 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The Shoemaker Award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Bill Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby four times, won 8,833 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at age 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand at Hollywood Park.

Bill Shoemaker Award winners:

2003: Alex Solis

2004: John Velazquez

2005: Garrett Gomez

2006: Frankie Dettori

2007: Garrett Gomez

2008: Garrett Gomez

2009: Julien Leparoux

2010: Garrett Gomez

2011: John Velazquez

2012: Mike Smith

2013: Mike Smith

2014: John Velazquez

2015: Ryan Moore

2016: Mike Smith

2017: Javier Castellano

2018: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2019: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2020: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2021: Irad Ortiz Jr.

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