Few homeowners and breeders have been extra profitable in North American racing than Godolphin, particularly in recent times. Since 2021, the worldwide racing and breeding operation has netted six Eclipse Awards for main proprietor and breeder, 9 Breeders’ Cup wins, and a basic win within the 2021 Belmont Stakes with Important High quality.
But yr after yr, one race appeared to elude them: the $600,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes, the distinguished opening-day function at Keeneland that’s sponsored by Godolphin’s stallion division.
Now, even that race has Godolphin’s identify in its stake-winning historical past. On Oct. 4, their gifted homebred 2-year-old filly Immersive ended the winless spell within the Grade 1 contest, defeating Quickick by 1 ¼ lengths, with present finisher Quietside one other two lengths again in third.
The victory improved Immersive to 3-for-3 following a maiden victory and a conquer Quietside within the Spinaway Stakes, each at Saratoga Race Course over the summer season.
Immersive additionally earned an computerized, fees-paid berth within the Nov. 1 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar because the Alcibiades is a part of the “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection. Friday’s Darley Alcibiades was the marquee occasion on the opening card of Keeneland’s fall meet, kicking off a three-day Fall Stars weekend loaded with Breeders’ Cup preps.
Moreover, the highest 5 Alcibiades finishers earned qualifying factors to the 2025 Longines Kentucky Oaks on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
At all times nicely positioned after breaking from the skin put up beneath Manny Franco, 1.67-1 post-time favourite Immersive stalked Wealthy Metropolis Lady and Liam within the Mud by fractions of :23.01, :46.89, and 1:11.26 earlier than taking command within the stretch. She appeared to lose focus down the lane, and a rallying Quickick loomed a hazard.
“I assumed I used to be gonna catch her,” Quickick’s jockey, Dylan Davis, instructed her coach, Tom Amoss, after the race.
However regardless of a remaining sixteenth in a sluggish :07.14, Immersive, a bay Nyquist filly, remained in entrance, finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.64.
“We needed to go farther together with her since she received first trip, and at this time she proved that she needed to go the gap,” Franco stated.
Successful coach Brad Cox appeared happy to have received for Godolphin and Darley, an essential consumer for his secure, noting with a smile that he heard about their previous winless mark from Godolphin representatives in a good-natured method. He had received the race twice earlier than for different homeowners.
“Once they have been loading the horses, I noticed all of the assistant starters have been in Darley jackets, I didn’t know if that was good luck or dangerous luck,” he stated. “But it surely was good luck at this time.”
Requested if he felt Immersive might head west to Southern California and win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, as Cox’s British Idiom did at Santa Anita Park 5 years in the past, the coach responded, “I certain hope so. This can be a very gifted filly.”–Byron King
Could Day Prepared Dials Up the Rating in Jessamine Stakes
After saddling the winners of top-level races across the globe as an assistant, coach Joseph Lee lastly seized his second within the limelight when Could Day Prepared pulled off a gutsy victory within the $350,000, Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes Introduced by Keeneland Gross sales, one race previous to the Darley Alcibiades on Keeneland’s Oct. 4 card.
“It’s not an excessive amount of completely different, it’s simply my identify in this system now,” Lee stated.
The final month has been a whirlwind for the horseman, who at present manages a five-horse secure at Belmont Park. KatieRich Stables’ Could Day Prepared handed Lee his first black-type stakes winner Sept. 8 within the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes and sweetened the deal by giving the coach his first graded stakes win within the Jessamine.
“She’s a pleasant filly and I’ve recognized that for fairly some time to be sincere with you,” Lee stated. “It was a troublesome week of preparation for us with all of the rain up there.”
Lee had initially entered Could Day Prepared within the Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont on the Large A, which was rescheduled as a result of torrential rain storms. The coach modified his plans earlier this week and vanned the Tapit filly all the way down to Kentucky on Tuesday.
Could Day Prepared was eager after being jostled round through the opening phases of the Jessamine, however settled nicely off the tempo beneath Frankie Dettori, who had ridden the filly in all three of her begins. Weaving her method between horses, Could Day Prepared superior powerfully as the sector turned for dwelling and took purpose on stretch chief Completely Justified.
Could Day Prepared quickened simply as she had at Kentucky Downs, collaring Completely Justified on the wire in a blanket end with a fast-closing Destino d’Oro to the skin. The three 2-year-olds hit the wire in unison, with Could Day Prepared proving finest by the slimmest of margins. Completely Justified was a nostril again in second, one other nostril forward of Destino d’Oro.
“I assumed we received beat to be sincere. I assumed we received third and that she ran nicely. Earlier than the race Frankie (Dettori) stated if she runs nicely right here, ‘We’re going to the Breeders’ Cup,’” Lee stated.
Could Day Prepared clocked the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.10 over a agency turf course. By profitable the Jessamine, a Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection qualifier, the bay earned an all-expenses paid berth to the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar.–Molly Rollins
Federal Decide Picks Up First Graded Stakes Win in Phoenix Stakes
Just like his second-level allowance race win in late August at Saratoga, Federal Decide opened a transparent benefit early and drew off late to put up a 5 ½-length victory within the $314,275, Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes earlier on Friday’s card.
On a monitor the place pace fared nicely all through the day, Federal Decide broke in good order from the rail beneath Flavien Prat and regarded nicely inside himself by a quarter-mile in :21.62. He put away a little bit of a problem from Comedy City after a half-mile in :43.97 then drew off to the simple victory.
With the hassle, the speedy 4-year-old Military Mule gelding campaigned by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm secured the primary graded stakes win of his profession. The constant Federal Decide nailed down his fourth win in six profession begins and entering into appeared to be a superb match for the monitor Friday. Within the 4 main-track races earlier than the Phoenix, two winners led at each level of name and the opposite two rallied from simply off the tempo in second.
“It was an enormous win; we’re pleased with the horse, pleased with the hassle,” coach Brad Cox stated. “Clearly simply based mostly off of what we’ve seen from the sooner races, pace’s good, rail’s good, so we’ll see. We walked within the paddock and felt it might undoubtedly profit him, and it appeared to have however we’re pleased with the hassle.”
Despatched off because the second alternative at 1.74-1 odds, Federal Decide accomplished the six-furlong check in 1:08.20 on a quick monitor. He was adopted dwelling by post-time favourite Nakatomi in second and Comedy City, who entered off back-to-back stakes wins at Gulfstream Park, in third.
The Phoenix is a “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection race that awards a fees-paid begin within the Breeders’ Cup Dash Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Whereas it could be simply his third begin in a graded stakes, Cox stated they’ll take into account that choice. In his solely different graded stakes begin, Federal Decide completed fourth in final yr’s Woody Stephens Stakes Introduced by Mohegan Solar at Belmont Park.
“It’s a thought,” Cox stated. “We’ll speak it over with the WinStar staff and the Siena Farm staff and provide you with a recreation plan pretty fast. It’s undoubtedly one thing we’ll speak about over the following few days.”–Frank Angst
