Nations Pride

Friday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 9.00pm, AL MAKTOUM MILE SPONSORED BY EMAAR-G2, AED1,000,000, 3yo/up, 1600m Field: Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Meshtri (Medaglia d'Oro), Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}), Mendelssohn Bay (Mendelssohn), Commissioner King (Commissioner), Morning (Munnings), Castlewarden (Into Mischief), Killer Collect (Collected), Masmak (Vino Rosso), West Saratoga (Exaggerator), Musical Dancer (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), David Of Athens (Nyquist). TDN Analysis: Bhupat Seemar saddles no fewer than eight of the 13 runners, headed by March's G2 Al Maktoum Classic winner Imperial Emperor and recent Dubai Creek Mile scorer...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a newcomer from the Charlie Appleby yard. 13.30 Kempton, £20,000, Mdn, 2yo, 8f (AWT) Godolphin's hitherto untested NATION'S HOPE (IRE) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) is a half-brother to GI Saratoga Derby, G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis, GI Canadian International and GI Arlington Million hero Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})....

Silawi (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) continued a big day internationally for Wathnan Racing Saturday, giving the ownership group a second top-level win on the day in the GI Pattison Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine. Making his North American debut, the Irish-bred gelded son of Dubawi has racked up plenty of air miles through the years, though perhaps not as many as race favorite Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Silawi spent much of his formative years in France, breaking his maiden in his fifth start at Saint-Cloud in April 2023. Second in...

by TDN Editorial Staff Buckle up, race fans, it's going to be a wild ride on Saturday, as no fewer than 16 graded stakes from New York to Lexington, from Los Angeles to Toronto are scheduled, with horse racing's championship weekend now officially less than four weeks down the road. Without further ado, let's jump into the always-productive card at Aqueduct. Champagne, Frizette Share Spotlight at Belmont at the Big A A quartet of graded stakes, headed by the 'Win and You're In' GI Champagne S. and GI Frizette S.,...

by Stefanie Grimm & Alan Carasso For the first time in it's 24-year history, Virginia's Colonial Downs will play host to a Kentucky Derby winner as 2024 winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) will make his turf debut in Saturday's 1 1/4-mile GI Arlington Million. Trainer Kenny McPeek has had his eye on the turf for his Derby winner for quite some time, telling the TDN this week that the idea had been on his mind for at least a year. "It was kind of an audible at the line of scrimmage,"...

For the fourth consecutive year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Godolphin topped the list of leading individual breeders in North America in 2024, with earnings of $23,205,149. Runners listed as bred by the operation made 1,161 starts for a record of 226 wins, 169 runner-up efforts and 186 thirds. No fewer than 10 Grade I races in North America in 2024 were taken by Godolphin-breds, led by Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won his second Breeders' Cup Turf in three years and is a finalist for the Male...

NEW KENT COUNTY, VA -- After sending out the beaten favorites in both the GI FanDuel Fourstardave Handicap and GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes at Saratoga, the Godolphin's Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) struck for chalk players hundreds of miles to the south as he quickened up beautifully in the stretch to take out Sunday's GI Arlington Million Stakes at Colonial Downs. Scheduled first post for Sunday's big card was 1 p.m. ET, but satellite issues meant that the race did not jump until 1:52 p.m. A visit from Virginia...

It is no longer referred to as the 'International Festival of Racing' and, sadly, it no longer calls Arlington Park home, but Colonial Downs's Festival of Racing is set for Sunday afternoon, shoved back to Sunday when the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby tracked up the East Coast over the course of the last few days. The featured GI Arlington Million has attracted field of six led by Godolphin's Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who makes his eighth North American appearance in career start number 18. Winner of the GI...

For an operation so accustomed to success on these shores, the first two-plus days of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival proved surprisingly and disappointingly fruitless for Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick. Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was flat as the heavy favorite in Thursday's GII Belmont Gold Cup, while English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was last but one as the pick in Friday's GI New York S. Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was a fair fifth in Saturday's GI Jaipur S. to add insult to injury,...

Charlie Appleby says Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) will line out in Friday's $1m Bahrain International Trophy with a favourite's chance but admitted that stall 12 could make things tricky for the dual Group 1 winner as Godolphin ready a five-strong team for the Group 2 contest. Last seen winning the G1 Canadian International in October, Nations Pride will be joined by stablemate Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), with William Buick opting to ride the former in his bid to win the race for a first time. Appleby said, "Nations...

Daniel and Claire Kubler have described running stable star Astro King in Friday's $1m Bahrain Trophy as something "dreams are made of" as the husband-and-wife training duo bid to prove that you don't need to spend massive amounts at the sales to secure big-race riches on the track.  A 36,000gns purchase from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale last year, Astro King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) netted connections £103,080 when landing the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket in September. That performance came after Astro King cashed in a £51,540 cheque for winning a Heritage...

French Classic winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) is one of three Group 1 winners set to contest the Bahrain International Trophy along with Above The Curve (American Pharoah) and Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). This year's race, which takes place on Friday, November 17, has been upgraded to Group 2 status for the first time and has enhanced prize-money of $1 million. Fourteen runners will go to post, including two trained locally in Bahrain.  Among the international travellers from five different countries is Shadwell's Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}),...