Godolphin Not Playing Around in Just a Game

A grey pair of Godolphin-owned, Charlie Appleby-trained fillies off at 7-1 and last seen competing in Meydan's G2 Balanchine S. in February dominated Saturday's GI Longines Just a Game S., with Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) running down fleet-footed stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) late. Longshot and fellow 'Rising Star' Daddy is a Legend (Scat Daddy) rounded out the trifecta. Trainer Chad Brown, who had three chances for his fifth-straight Just a Game title, could do no better than fourth with Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom).

Balanchine winner Summer Romance zipped out to the front as anticipated and cleared off comfortably as Althiqa was guided to the hedge in third last by Mike Smith. The leader still seemed to be in complete control after a half in :46.90 and six panels in 1:10.46, but Althiqa was loaded as she looked for running room at the top of the stretch. Smith tried briefly to tip wide, but then opted to go for an inside run and that proved the winning move–Althiqa squeezed inside of Summer Romance in the final sixteenth to prevail by 3/4 of a length.

“She's got a big heart and she's very, very honest, so she's going to run good,” said Smith. “You're just going to have to make a trip when it's time to move on. I was actually going to tip out, but she kind of leaned in like she wanted to drop to the fence, so I just let her. It was a small hole but [Appleby] told me she had a big heart, and she got on through there. She might suit American racing really well. We might want to keep her here.”

A stakes winner in France and group-placed both there and in Great Britain last year at three, Althiqa kicked off her campaign with a decisive tally in Meydan's G2 Cape Verdi S. going this distance Jan. 28 before running on for third in the Balanchine.

“We're obviously delighted with it and we knew we had two competitive fillies,” said Appleby, whose last Stateside victory came with Godolphin's Line of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. “It's one of those days when we prepped well, I was confident they would run a big race and they justified it. They are two fillies who ran well over the winter in Dubai in Group 2s–one won the Balanchine and the other won the Cape Verdi–and they came out there to America and put it to the sword again. It's a great effort by the team there and we might think about leaving them there for [July 17 GI Diana S. at] Saratoga. Althiqa hit the line strong enough and she wasn't stopping. It was an opportunity to get a [Grade I], and luckily we did.”

Appleby and Godolphin were also represented Saturday by smashing G1 Cazoo Derby winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

As for the decision to enlist Smith, Appleby said, “Mike gave us our first Grade I in the [2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf] with Outstrip (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), so it's great to team up again. With Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}0 [having developed an infection and dropping out of consideration for the GI Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets] earlier this week and this, it's just the ups and downs of it all. We've seen it here in the UK and you just have to roll with the punches.”

Saturday, Belmont
LONGINES JUST A GAME S.-GI, $500,000, Belmont, 6-5, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:33.90, gd.
1–ALTHIQA (GB), 118, f, 4, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Mistrusting (Ire) (SW-Eng, $120,206), by Shamardal
                2nd Dam: Misheer (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
                3rd Dam: All For Laura (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charles Appleby;
J-Mike E. Smith. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 10-5-2-3, $466,213.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A++.
2–Summer Romance (Ire), 120, f, 4, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Serena's Storm (Ire), by Statue of Liberty
2nd Dam: Princess Serena, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Serena's Sister, by Rahy
(300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT; €800,000 2yo '19 ARQMA).
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Round Hill Stud (IRE); T-Charles Appleby.
$100,000.
3–Daddy Is a Legend, 118, m, 6, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Randie's Legend, by Benchmark
2nd Dam: Eternal Legend, by Gold Legend
3rd Dam: Eternal Search, by Northern Answer
($140,000 Wlg '15 KEENOV; $160,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Hill,
Jim and Susan; B-HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC (PA); T-George
Weaver. $60,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 3/4, 1. Odds: 7.40, 7.20, 12.30.
Also Ran: Regal Glory, Pocket Square (GB), Zofelle (Ire), Always Shopping, Abscond, Tamahere (Fr), New York Girl (Ire). Scratched: Blowout (GB), Sweet Bye and Bye. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Althiqa is the eighth highest-level winner and one of 37 group/graded winners for Dark Angel (Ire), who is also the sire of this April's impressive GI Maker's Mark Mile hero Raging Bull (Fr), and 2018's GI Shoemaker Mile S. upsetter Hunt (Ire). The late Shamardal has sired the dams of 30 graded/group winners, including six now at the top level.

Dam Mistrusting is herself a daughter of Group 2 winner and G1SP Misheer. Her 3-year-old son Magical Land (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has been second or third in all five outings for these connections, while Althiqa's 2-year-old full-sister Before Dawn (Ire) was second at Newmarket May 15 and a close fourth in the Kempton all-weather on Wednesday. Mistrusting produced a Dark Angel colt last term and a Kodiac (GB) filly this March.