Charlie Appleby

Keeneland's lawn debuted during the 1985 Fall meet in an era when American turf courses were just coming into vogue. According to a back issue of the track's media guide, through 2016 they had two names for their grass course. The Keeneland Course referred to the one with rail up, while the normal configuration with it down was called the Haggin Course. Named for Louis Lee Haggin II, who was not only Keeneland's President from 1940-1956, but the decade before had purchased the 550-acre Sycamore Farm in Woodford County. Serving...

It should shock no one that Godolphin homebred Nations Pride (Teofilo {Ire}) has a more-frequently used passport than most of his human connections. The star 4-year-old has raced (and won) in his native England, is a Grade I winner in the United States, a graded-stakes winner in the United Arab Emirates and most recently took a Grade I race in Germany July 30 before shipping north of the border to Woodbine. Racing with the addition of Lasix for his Canadian debut, the son of Teofilo certainly wooed the betting public...

With a nod to Chicago motorsport legend Jan Gabriel's famous call of Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!, the blockbuster weekend of horse racing isn't in the books just yet with 11 graded stakes scheduled. Out of those, three guarantee a starting spot in next month's 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships --'Win and You're In'. In Toronto, Woodbine Racetrack cards the GI E.P. Taylor S. A renewal of the celebrated 1 1/4 grass event, this year's edition includes Godolphin homebred and Dubai multiple group stakes winner With The Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The...

The parade of graded stakes races this Saturday is like a Christmas tree laden with presents. Towards the end of the celebration, as the wadded paper congregates, there will be a customary wistfulness that slowly sets in. We never want it to end. With 17, yes 17, graded races on the docket--nine of those have Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' status--it is going to be a splendid day to receive as Belmont at the Big A, Keeneland Race Course, Woodbine Racetrack, Gulfstream Park, Hastings Racecourse and Santa Anita Park...

It's a busy time at Keeneland. The September sale has just ended, the fall race meet is upon us and the November sale is right around the corner. With that in mind, the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland called upon Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach to fill us in on the latest from one of America's favorite racetracks. Breathnach was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. The foal crop keeps dropping every year, but that doesn't seem to affect the September sale. There were...

Just over 100 years ago, the Jockey Club's resident New York handicapper, William Vosburgh, knew the value of history and understood how it could be applied when he penned his magnum opus, Racing In America, 1866-1921. The turf wordsmith revealed his intent in the Preface when he said, "I shall show that, owing to want of popular support, racing had fallen so low, and so infrequent, as to excite little or no interest." What he was talking about was a sport in crisis, as progressive forces in America drove racing...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Master Of The Seas in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile at Woodbine on Saturday.   Dubawi Gelding Masters Woodbine Mile Foes The Classic-placed Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) won his first race at the Grade I level for breeder Godolphin and Charlie Appleby in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile on Saturday (video). Already a five-time group winner who was second in the 2021...

When Carson's Run (Cupid) won the GI bet365 Summer S. at Woodbine Racetrack this past weekend, earning a trip to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, the story was bigger than one horse and one race. The 2-year-old chestnut colt is named for the 31-year-old son of Wade Jost, who bought into the horse from his classmate at the United States Military Academy, Terry Finley, thorough West Point Thoroughbreds. Carson Jost continues to battle Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. The story might sound familiar, as Cody's Wish (Curlin) is named in honor of...

Coming into Wednesday's Listed EBF Stallions John Musker Fillies' S. off a win in Haydock's Reprocolor Premier Fillies' H. 13 days previously, Godolphin's Sapphire Seas (GB) (Frankel {GB}) raised her game again to beat some talented peers for her black-type breakthrough. Tracking the leaders early, the 9-2 shot travelled smoothly to the fore under William Buick approaching two out and had command soon after. Pushed out to assert her superiority, the Charlie Appleby-trained homebred hit the line with 2 1/2 lengths to spare over the smart yardstick Mukaddamah (GB) (New...

Twelve months after Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made light work of the race, Godolphin's Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) proved an equally decisive winner of the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile for trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick. With the victory, the homebred has earned a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in early November, a race won last year by Modern Games. Drawn the inside gate in a field of just six horses, the 2-5 jolly wasn't the best away and...

Racing roads converge this Saturday. With a little over a month left before horses and their connections officially point to Santa Anita, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series returns to Woodbine Racetrack. Featured are three 'Win and You're In' chances, including the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, the prep seasons officially open for 2-year-old colts and fillies, who are seeking to bank points for next May's 150th editions of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. There is much to get to with Belmont at the Big...

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and unbeaten European Champion Two-Year-Old Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) will stand at Kildangan Stud for 2024.  Trained by Charlie Appleby, Native Trail carried the Godolphin blue throughout his career, which featured a stellar unbeaten juvenile campaign in 2021 which culminated with spellbinding performances in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien S at the Curragh followed by the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket.  After landing the G3 Craven S. on his seasonal return at three, he found only stablemate Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) too tough in...