All Equine All The Time

Only months after his son Golden Horn topped off a stellar career with a Cartier Horse of the Year award in 2015, Cape Cross was back with another big horse with Awtaad. Awtaad started his career on Oct. 11, 2015, a week after Golden Horn won the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. While it wasn’t a victory, with Awtaad getting nosed out for second close to home, it was the final time he’d lose for over six months. From his debut, Awtaad went on a four race win streak, winning those four starts by a combined 11 ½ lengths. While he looked the real deal early on in Ireland, it was the Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas that confirmed that fact when he faced Group 1 QIPCO 2,000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold (Paco Boy), who was looking to win back-to-back classics. Awtaad took the lead with less than two furlongs to go and won by 2 ½ lengths over Galileo Gold. The win made him his sire’s second classic winner in as many years after Golden Horn’s win in England’s Group 1 Investec D...

 David Tsui's silks (WIkimedia/Zafonic photo) Usually when I look at the pedigrees in European classic races for these pieces one stallion seems to dominate. Farther back on the page it might be Northern Dancer while in the first few generations of classic runners it's usually Sadler’s Wells but in the case of the Investec Derby at this entry stage it’s a mare whose name is seen everywhere. After a racing career that any stallion would be jealous of, Urban Sea (Miswaki) hit the ground running as a broodmare with her first son high weighted as a 3-year-old in Ireland and her first daughter placing in two classics before proving herself as a producer. But it was that third foal that has played the biggest part in her legacy as a producer so far. Galileo was Urban Sea’s first champion and classic winner and these days is making sure her line in passed on. At this stage in the Investec Derby entries, Galileo has played his part extremely well with seven runners by the ...

Golden Horn galloping in front of the crowd at Keeneland. One of the most dominant horses in the world in 2015, Golden Horn (Cape Cross) won four Group 1 races in 2015 including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Investec Derby on his way to Cartier (European) Horse of the Year honors. The colt started his career on Oct. 29, 2014 as a 2-year-old when beating future multiple classic placed Storm the Stars by a head in a Nottingham maiden. Shelved until April of his 3-year-old year he came back and beat Peacock by 1 ½ lengths in the listed Feilden Stakes, his final start at the non-group stakes level. With William Buick aboard for the final time in the Dante Stakes he took his record to three-from-three over fellow John Gosden trainee Jack Hobbs, who was again his victim a few weeks later in the Derby. Golden Horn’s first attempt against older horses validated his claims as one of the top horses in Europe on July 4 when he ran away from a field that included multiple Group 1 ...