All plans are now on hold for the four-year-old colt, who was an
“It is a great shame he has had this setback as we had been so
“We will not make any decisions about his future until he gets
Midshipman had been considered a prime contender for the March 27 Godolphin
|
Bred in Kentucky by Robert and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable, Midshipman
was originally campaigned by his breeders and trained by Bob Baffert. A debut
maiden winner at Del Mar, the chestnut captured the 2008 Del Mar Futurity (G1)
and finished a close second in the Norfolk S. (G1).
Midshipman joined the Maktoum empire when Sheikh Mohammed purchased the
Stonerside horses, and he made his first official start in the Darley silks a
winning one in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
Voted America’s champion two-year-old male on the heels of that front-running
triumph, Midshipman was subsequently transferred to the elite Godolphin
operation. He was sent to Dubai to prepare for his assault on the 2009 Kentucky
Derby (G1), only to sustain the aforementioned soft tissue injury.
Midshipman has raced only four times since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Returning from a nearly 11-month layoff last September, he posted a 3 1/4-length
victory in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance/optional claimer at Belmont Park in his
first outing for Saeed bin Suroor. With that single prep under his belt,
Midshipman attempted to wire the field in the November 7 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
(G1) at Santa Anita, but yielded grudgingly late and was beaten all of
three-quarters of a length in third.
Back in Dubai for the International Racing Carnival, Midshipman reappeared in
the January 28 Maktoum Challenge Round 1 (UAE-G3) at Meydan, arguing the pace
early before tiring in the closing stages for fourth. He moved forward off that
effort to win an about seven-furlong conditions event in commanding style,
improving his record to 8-5-1-1, $1,584,600.
Midshipman is out of multiple Grade 2 queen Fleet Lady (Avenue of Flags),
making him a half-brother to Grade 2 heroine Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister), an
unnamed juvenile filly by Distorted Humor and an unnamed yearling filly by
Empire Maker. This is the family of French Group 1 winner and sire Salse
(Topsider).