Godolphin Outstanding Owner, Again

For the second consecutive year, Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin racing operation topped the North American owner standings by earnings and paved the way for its second consecutive title as Eclipse Outstanding Owner.

The leading owner trophy is the organization's fourth since 2006 when it first received this honor as Darley in a tie with Lael Stable. Godolphin was subsequently honored with Eclipse top owner honors in 2009, 2012 (when it was also named Outstanding Breeder), 2020, and 2021, when it again won dual titles at leading owner and breeder.

In 2022, Godolphin homebreds drove its success. The stable campaigned 14 graded stakes winners, including 10 grade 1 winners that were all homebreds. The imposing lineup of stakes winners included an even more impressive four Breeders' Cup World Championships winners: Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Cody's Wish , Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) winner Rebel's Romance , Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Modern Games , and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Mischief Magic .

"We have a nice group of trainers doing a phenomenal job for us. It was just spread out so evenly all the way through the year with big horses hitting targets from Jan to November," said Michael Banahan, director of farm operations for Godolphin's Jonabell Farm near Lexington. "We started out the year with Speaker's Corner   winning the Fred Hooper (Stakes, G3) in January this year all the way to Mike Stidham winning the Clark (Stakes, G1) with Proxy  on Thanksgiving.

"Modern Games was the captain of the team having been at the Breeders' Cup before," he continued. "He was so impressive in the Woodbine Mile, such a tough horse…and then he didn't get to run his race in the Breeders' Cup, but he races with his heart on his sleeve. He's going to give his 110% every time he runs."

Modern Games, a son of Godolphin's top European stallion Dubawi , hopped at break of the Mile and got pinched back soon after. He came charging at the end, though, to win by three-quarters of a length.

Godolphin made 438 starts as owner in 2022 that resulted in 88 wins, 61 seconds, and 57 thirds. Its runners banked $16,343,067 in North American purses. The wins include 23 in graded stakes and six of its runners won multiple graded stakes, including Cody's Wish, Matareya , Modern Games, Nations Pride , Santin , and Speaker's Corner.