Alpha changed Godolphin’s Kentucky Derby philosophy
How dearly Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum would like to win the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby? The answer will become apparent to someone who has kept tabs on the owner’s recent attempts on winning the Kentucky Derby, and the fact that he has never come
close to winning it, ever, is something to be looked into, or is it high time that Godolphin should change its racing philosophy a little when it comes to their three-year-old Derby prospects.
The Dubai’s ruling leader, who also runs under the banner of Darley, had sent in a total of five runners from 1999 to 2002, and all of them suffered the same fate in the Kentucky Derby, what’s worse is that all those runners couldn’t even conjure up a placed
finish in their races.
It was Worldly Manner who disappointed his connections with a seventh place finish back in 1999, but China Visit didn’t do better than his stable mate as he finished a dismal sixth. The story doesn’t get better for Godolphin as seventh, eighth and ninth
were the stable’s standings in the next three Kentucky Derby editions.
It would have been a different story though in 2008, when their ace runner Street Cry was in good form, and was expected to take the Kentucky Derby for the first time for his owner, but the colt then missed the opportunity when he incurred an ankle injury
two weeks before the race.
The philosophy used to be that, the runners who have been winning or have turned in respected finishes in their races should be sent to Dubai, and there they should participate in two prep races and then come back to the United States right before the Kentucky
Derby.
However, this year it’s not the case, Alpha, has been retained by his trainer throughout the winter, and he is now pointed towards one of the most prestigious Kentucky Derby prep race called the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial.
This philosophy seems to be working as Alpha is up 2 in as many starts, and is looking to grab his third of the season in the Wood Memorial and close his prep race session for the Kentucky Derby on a high.
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