After tracking a torrid early pace set by her stablemate Celebrissime (Peintre
Her final time for the 1,850-meter test on the good turf was 1:49 2/5,
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“She is extraordinary,” Head marveled, according to sportinglife.com. “She
broke the record for the race and it was a tough race. She was never far away
and was the first to go for home and to keep on going is something else.
“That was over nine furlongs today too. A mile is her distance — definitely,
she is a miler. She can go early or wait at the back — she is a freak.
“She never surprises me, but I must say I was a bit worried during the race
because I thought they had gone too quick,” he added. “That was my only worry,
but she showed she could do it.”
The top two were in a race of their own, for it was another 10 lengths back
to third-place finisher Wiener Walzer (Dynaformer), last year’s Deutsches Derby
(Ger-G1) winner. Wiener Walzer was himself six lengths clear of multiple Group 1
queen Stacelita (Monsun), who in turn crossed the wire 10 lengths ahead of
Runaway (King’s Best). The early leaders Next Vision and Celebrissime followed,
while Board Meeting (Anabaa) was distanced. Vertigineux (Nombre Premier) was
withdrawn.
Goldikova’s eighth Grade/Group 1 triumph improved her mark to 16-11-2-2 with
approximately $4.27 million in earnings. The five-year-old had not raced since
November 7, when she captured the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita for the
second straight year. That netted her an Eclipse Award as America’s champion
turf female.
Two-for-two as a juvenile in 2007, Goldikova chased the peerless Zarkava a
couple of times as a three-year-old. She recovered from a nearly disastrous
start to finish second in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand
Guineas) (Fr-G1) and subsequently checked in a non-staying third in the Prix de
Diane (French Oaks) (Fr-G1). Goldikova resumed the winning thread when getting
away from Zarkava in the Prix Chloe (Fr-G3), then went on to defeat older horses
in the Prix Rothschild (Fr-G1) and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-G1). She
capped her 2008 campaign in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, where she dethroned Kip
Deville by 1 1/4 lengths and extended her winning streak to four.
Goldikova suffered a shock defeat in her 2009 bow in the Prix d’Ispahan,
winding up a well-beaten seventh on soft ground. Sidelined for nearly two months
thereafter, she returned with a comfortable score in the Falmouth S. (Eng-G1).
Goldikova posted an effortless title defense in the Prix Rothschild, which was
just a prelude to her six-length rout of males in the Prix Jacques le Marois
(Fr-G1) in stakes-record time. She was freshened in advance of her prep in the
Prix de la Foret (Fr-G1), finishing third in a massive upset, but rebounded to
defend her Breeders’ Cup title.
Goldikova has her sights set on an unprecedented three-peat in the Mile,
scheduled for November 6 at Churchill Downs. Head has identified her next target
as the June 15 Queen Anne S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot.
“The Queen Anne comes at exactly the right time, it is the right distance and
I think she will love the straight mile there,” Head said.
The Irish-bred mare was produced by the winning Blushing Groom (Fr) mare Born
Gold, who is also responsible for Group 3 scorers Gold Round (Caerleon) and Gold
Sound (Fr) (Green Tune), the Group 3-placed pair of Born Something (Ire) (Caerleon)
and Red Tune (Green Tune), and the unraced juvenile filly Galikova (Galileo
[Ire]). Born Gold is a full sister to multiple Group 1 heroine Gold Splash.
Goldikova’s second dam is Group 1 queen Riviere d’Or (Lyphard), and her third
dam is champion Gold River (Fr) (Riverman), who captured the 1981 Prix de l’Arc
de Triomphe (Fr-G1).