Strengthened by victories from She's a Julie, Lord North and Essential Quality , Godolphin has won its third consecutive John Deere Award, honoring the outstanding breeder of the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships and the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
The John Deere Award, presented by Breeders' Cup Limited and NTRA Advantage, emphasizes the contributions of breeders to the Breeders' Cup program. The industry's breeders provide funding for the purses for the World Championships through the annual nominations of foals and stallions.
NTRA Advantage and John Deere will award a John Deere TS Gator Utility Vehicle to Godolphin.
The John Deere award winner is determined by the breeder who received the highest number of first-place finishes in Graded/Group stakes in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series of 81 stakes races in nine countries, and in the 14 Breeders' Cup World Championships races (13 Grade 1 events and one Grade 2), which was held this year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Each Grade/Group 1 win was worth 10 points; Grade/Group 2 wins were worth six points; Grade/Group 3 wins were worth four points; and listed stakes wins were worth two points.
Godolphin-bred runners earned 40 points by winning four Group/Grade 1 races in England and the United States. Godolphin finished 10 points in front of both Coolmore Stud and Northern Farm/Northern Racing, which tied for second place with 30 points each.
Godolphin's run to the title began on June 13 when the 5-year-old mare She's a Julie, a bay daughter of Elusive Quality out of Kydd Gloves by Dubai Millennium, captured the Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park, which was "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Just four days later, the 4-year-old gelding Lord North, a bay son of Dubawi out of the Giant's Causeway mare Najoum, gave Godolphin its second victory in the competition when he won the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. The Prince of Wales's Stakes was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race which earned Lord North a free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).
In the fall at Keeneland, the 2-year-old colt Essential Quality secured the John Deere title for Godolphin. The striking gray/roan son of Tapit out of Delightful Quality by Elusive Quality took the "Win and You're In" Claiborne Breeders' Futurity on Oct. 3, which earned him an automatic starting position in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. One month later, Essential Quality won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by three-quarters of a length.
"Godolphin's third consecutive John Deere Award is a true testament to their longtime success among international breeders," said Dora Delgado, Breeders' Cup Chief Racing Officer and Executive Vice President. "We congratulate His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the entire Godolphin team, and we are grateful to this organization and the continuing commitment from all Thoroughbred breeders around the world who support the Breeders' Cup racing and nomination programs.
"We are also very proud of our partners John Deere and NTRA Advantage for recognizing the importance of the breeding industry with the sponsorship of this award," added Delgado.
"The Breeders' Cup and John Deere's commitment to International Racing reflects the goals and ambitions of the global Godolphin breeding program to strive to compete at the highest level," said Jimmy Bell, President, Godolphin USA. "Godolphin is honored to be recognized with this award."
"John Deere would like to once again congratulate Godolphin on this excellent achievement for the third consecutive year," said Auston Till, Manager Partner Sales, John Deere Ag & Turf. "We are thrilled to award a John Deere GatorTM Utility Vehicle for this outstanding accomplishment."
The overall competition for the John Deere Award played out at the sport's highest level, as progeny of Coolmore and Northern Farm/Northern Racing also demonstrated standout performances in their deadlock for the runner-up spot. Coolmore-bred Group 1 winners won three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races, beginning with Love, who won the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on Aug. 20; Magical, who took the Irish Champion Stakes on Sept. 12 at Leopardstown; and Shale, winner of the Moyglare Stud Stakes on Sept. 13 at The Curragh.
Offspring from Northern Farm/Northern Racing also won three Group 1 Breeders' Cup Challenges races, all in Japan. Almond Eye won the Victoria Mile on May 17 at Tokyo Racecourse, Gran Alegria took the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo on June 7, and Chrono Genesis captured the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin Racecourse on June 28.
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