Sheikh Mohammed

A total of 73 juveniles by some of the pre-eminent dirt sires from America complemented by a collection of top European turf stallions are set to go under the hammer during the second renewal of the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale to be held Tuesday evening in the sprawling parade ring at Meydan Racecourse. "It's just a huge honour and privilege to be appointed as auctioneer now for the second year by the Dubai Racing Club and the chairman, Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, and it's a great feather in...

Anyone else who had trained this many Grade I winners--there's barely space for their photographs in the barn office--would by now be knocking at the door of the Hall of Fame. But how many even know the name of Johnny Burke? How many know his cheerful, friendly face or the store of experience that draws together so many evocative names, on two legs and four, of his own and past generations? As an adolescent, Burke was the first person ever to sit on the back of Midnight Court, subsequently winner...

DUBAI, UAE--A sale hosted at Meydan just a few days in advance of the Dubai World Cup meeting always promised to have an international feel to it, and though many of the 2-year-olds purchased at the inaugural Goffs Dubai Breeze-up Sale will remain in the Middle East, others will head to Japan and back to Europe as they head into training. "A first for Dubai and a first for Goffs," said Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby, as the initial batch of horses was ushered into the parade ring before...

Godolphin enjoyed a banner year of racing in North America 2021 thanks to U.S.-based runners like Essential Quality (Tapit) and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), plus a long list of successful shippers brought in from Europe. As such, Godophin took home its second consecutive Eclipse Award Thursday as outstanding owner (fifth overall counting one under the Darley banner), and its second as outstanding breeder. 

Closing arguments were a late scratch Jan. 31 in the horse doping trial of veterinarian Dr. Seth Fishman being held in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. New York U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil met the lawyers for both sides in the robing room, then called the jury into the courtroom and sent them home. She told the jurors to return to court Tuesday. "There has developed legal issues that need to be dealt with," Vyskocil told the jury of eight women and four men. But Fishman's absence in...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale continued Thursday with a third session dominated by mares from the Godolphin draft. Dan Hall, acting on behalf of Frank Stronach's Adena Springs, made the day's highest bid when going to $480,000 to acquire the unraced Crowning Jewel (Into Mischief). Sheikh Mohammed's operation, on track to earn the Eclipse Award as leading breeder of 2021, was responsible for three of the session's top four prices. In all, 259 head sold Thursday for a gross of $5,471,700. The session average...

Famed (Uncle Mo), likely best known as champion Essential Quality (Tapit)'s younger half-sister, began to make her own reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' graduation at Keeneland in October and the Godolphin homebred could take another step towards living up to her name when she goes postward in the GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. Always well thought of by Sheikh Mohammed's operation, Famed's career nonetheless started with a defeat. The Brad Cox trainee was in the mix early as the 4-5 favorite in the six-furlong affair at...

Jimmy Bell, president and racing manager for Godolphin's U.S. division, will retire from his day-to-day involvement with the operation by the end of the year, according to a release from the operation. "Jimmy Bell is the bedrock that Godolphin USA is built upon," said Dan Pride, Chief Operating Officer of Godolphin, USA. "His history with Jonabell is well known and he has faithfully served 20 years molding us into what we are today. He is a friend to many of us and always an example of how to live your...

Breeze-up consignors shopping at this season's yearling sales will have a new and innovative target to aim at with the news late last month that the Dubai Racing Club will host the first-ever Dubai World Cup Breeze-Up Sale in association with Goffs next Mar. 24, two days prior to Dubai World Cup day at Meydan. The sale will have a maximum 69 2-year-olds catalogued. Horses in training are offered twice a year in Dubai through the Emirates Racing Authority Racing in Dubai sales, but the Dubai World Cup sale will...

Classic winner and leading sire Bernardini (A.P. Indy-Cara Rafaela, by Quiet American) was euthanized July 30 at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Central Kentucky due to complications from laminitis. The 18-year-old stallion, a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed's operation, has stood at Jonabell since he was retired for the 2007 breeding season. "Bernardini was one of a kind," said Michael Banahan, director of farm operations for Godolphin USA. "From the day he was born, he exuded class. He was that crop's best foal, best yearling, and best racehorse. His brilliance was only...

The 2021 class of Godolphin Flying Star graduated via Zoom on Friday, July 2. The 12 graduates were presented with their diplomas virtually by Godolphin Flying Start graduate and Godolphin Flying Start Trustee Lisa-Jane Graffard. The dozen new graduates are: Lowri Allen (UK), Joseph Bradley (Ireland), Julie Witt (USA), Niamh O'Brien (Ireland), Rachel Wade (USA), Arvin Chadee (UK), Victoria Canessa (Argentina), Marie Rohaut (France), Toshihiro Onikubo (Japan), Emma Coleman (Ireland), Oswald Wedmore (UK) and Caitlin Smith (Australia). Both Lowri Allen and Emma Coleman achieved the joint highest grades among the...

Off the top of your head, how many Thoroughbreds can you name who have been immortalized by having their characteristic in-race "move" named after them? Only three leap to mind for me: The "Silky Sullivan move" was coined in the late 1950s in honor of a California fan favorite who made a career out of lagging far behind and closing with a flourish, sometimes from more than 40 lengths off the pace. This phrase made its way into the lexicon of other sports and even American politics to signify an...