Godolphin Wins Second Straight John Deere Award

Rewarded for wins by its progeny on three continents, Godolphin has repeated as the winner of the John Deere Award honoring the outstanding breeder of the 2019 Breeders' Cup World Championships and the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The John Deere Award, presented by Breeders' Cup Limited and NTRA Advantage, emphasizes the contributions of breeders to the Breeders' Cup program. The industry's breeders provide funding for the purses for the World Championships through the annual nominations of foals and stallions.

NTRA Advantage and John Deere will award a John Deere TS Gator Utility Vehicle to Godolphin.

The John Deere award winner is determined by the breeder who received the highest number of first-place finishes in graded/group stakes in the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series of 86 stakes races in 11 countries, and in the 14 Breeders' Cup World Championships races (13 grade 1 events, and one grade 2 race) held this year at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Each grade1 /group 1 win is worth 10 points; grade 2/group 2 wins are worth six points; grade 3/group 3 wins are worth four points, and listed stakes wins are worth two points.

Godolphin-bred runners earned 40 points by winning four group 1 races in France, Japan, and the United States through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

2-year-old colt Earthlight gave Godolphin its first winner in the John Deere Award competition, when he won the Darley Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville in France Aug. 18. Godolphin then won three top-level races over an eight-day span, starting with Tower of London, a son of 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Raven's Pass, winning the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Race Course in Japan Sept. 29. The following weekend, Godolphin homebred Maxfield, a son of 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Street Sense , captured the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Godolphin's fourth win took place the next day at ParisLongchamp in France, when Victor Ludorum was victorious in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere for 2-year-olds. 

Godolphin, which won its first John Deere Award in 2018, ties Ken and Sarah Ramsey and Coolmore as the only breeders to win the honor twice.

"Godolphin is honored to win the John Deere Breeders' Cup award this year," said Dan Pride, chief operating officer for Godolphin USA. "We strive to compete at the highest level wherever we race around the world and this award recognizes a tremendous team effort to finish with G1 wins in three countries." 

"We once again congratulate Godolphin and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for their outstanding success on a global scale as winners of the John Deere Award," said Dora Delgado, Breeders' Cup executive vice president of racing and nominations. "In addition to Godolphin, we also thank all breeders for their support and commitment to the Breeders' Cup program, and extend our appreciation to John Deere and NTRA Advantage for their sponsorship of this award and their recognition of the importance of the breeding industry."

"We congratulate Godolphin on this outstanding achievement for the second year in a row," said Auston Till, equine business manager for John Deere. "We are thrilled to award a John Deere Gator Utility Vehicle for this outstanding accomplishment, and look forward to next year's Breeders' Award winner."

Accentuating the competitiveness of this year's results was that 12 breeders finished tied for second place, each with 20 points: Listed below are the names of the second-place finishers and the progeny that won either a Breeders' Cup Challenge race or a Breeders' Cup World Championships race: