By Duane Fonseca
Godolphin scored a treble on the 2022 Eclipse Awards winners roster, sweeping the Top Breeder and Top Owner prizes for the second consecutive year, with Charlie Appleby’s sensational 2022 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Modern Games being adjudged Eclipse Male Turf Horse of the Year.
It was the royal blues’ third straight trophy as top owner with the brilliant, but now retired, Flightline enjoying a double success that included the Horse of the Year prize.
Shadwell too earned a distinction, with their Grade 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher, being bestowed with the Eclipse Award for Older Dirt Female. Godolphin’s director of bloodstock, Michael Banahan said: “This is truly a golden era for Godolphin racing. And these awards and accolades recognise how special it is.
'PERFECT TRIFECTA'
“We are really starting to fall in love with this decade as Godolphin has a perfect trifecta of Outstanding Owner titles in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Now the pressure comes to try and improve and hit greater heights going forward. It’s great to reflect on these meaningful achievements, but what drives Godolphin forward is the ambition to set new goals to get us back here to collect future Eclipse Awards.
“Thank you to our trainers – Bill Mott, Brendan Walsh, Brad Cox, Mike Stidham, Eoin Harty, and a special shout out to our resident trainer Johnny Burke. He’s our secret weapon, who gets all our horses back to the trainers in excellent fettle, so that they can be so successful on the track at the highest level. “I’d also like to thank the jockeys who have ridden our Grade One winners in 2022: Junior Alvarado, Flavien Prat, Joel Rosario, Tyler Gaffalione, William Buick and James Doyle.”
APPLE OF THE EYE
Dan Pride, chief operating officer, Godolphin USA, added: “In the spirit of our founder Sheikh Mohammed, the goal is to compete in the best races in the world at the highest level. The common theme here is Charlie Appleby; he and his team travelled these horses multiple times last year. It has been very special to be a part of that and to watch it. “Modern Games is in training and is going to work back from the Breeders’ Cup in Santa Anita. I don’t think anyone here loves the Breeders’ Cup as much as Charlie!”
SADDLED BY A GENIUS
John Sadler trained Flightline to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic by eight and a quarter lengths. He ran just thrice last year, but won all those Grade One starts with a terrific combined 34 length margin. The 5yo son of Tapit was also named Eclipse Older Dirt Male. Sadler said: “I hope it brings unity to the industry. Let’s all push forward and bring the industry up, like it should be.” Pletcher won an eighth Top Trainer gong, while Irad Ortiz Jr won the Top Jockey prize.
