The Godolphin 18

[my miss storm cat]

Just thought this was interesting.....

From DRF.
By DAVID GRENING


Godolphin stables 18 at Belmont

Despite having just 10 horses here, Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing had an impressive 2006 campaign in New York, winning 10 races from 30 starters, including five stakes.

While two of its stars from a year ago - Discreet Cat and Ashkal Way - are sidelined, Godolphin has 18 horses stabled at Belmont, hoping to build on last year's success.

Godolphin will be represented by the Japanese-bred Utopia in Wednesday's Grade 3 Westchester Handicap. Utopia has not run since winning the 2006 Godolphin Mile at Nad al Sheba, after which he was purchased privately by Godolphin.

"He spent all last year in the UK," said Rick Mettee, the assistant trainer who oversees Godolphin's U.S. runners. "They had him pointed to a race in Hong Kong at the end of the year but something happened and he didn't make it. He came to us down at Payson Dec. 1. He's trained real well down at Payson; I'm real happy with him."

Songster, a multiple-stakes-winning sprinter in 2006, has been transferred from Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stable and trainer Tom Albertrani to Godolphin. Mettee said Songster is likely to run in the Grade 3, $100,000 Bold Ruler Handicap on May 12.

Rondo, who won a maiden race by 9 1/4 lengths at Saratoga last July, won a first-level allowance race by 4 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream on April 18. He will likely be pointed to another allowance race.

Late last year, Godolphin purchased several 2-year-old winners, including Minefield, Blue Sky God, and Zada Bell. Now 3, all are now based at Belmont, as is La Presse, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly who raced exclusively in Europe last year. Folk, a 3-year-old filly who won the UAE Oaks, arrived from Dubai on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Mettee said Discreet Cat, who won the Grade 1 Cigar Mile and Jerome handicaps last fall, is still recovering from a throat abscess discovered after he finished last in the Dubai World Cup. Mettee said Discreet Cat could ship to Belmont in mid-May with Day Pass, last year's Nashua winner who is now with Godolphin after racing for Darley last year.

Ashkal Way, who won the Bernard Baruch and Kelso in New York as well as the Grade 1 Citation at Hollywood Park, suffered a tendon injury in his right foreleg at Gulfstream and his future is unclear.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/84470.html

[ArlJim78]

Really looking forward to the return of Songster. He had some very fast performances last year. Albertrani has done a great job with that one.