Godolphin Makes It Five in a Row as Leading Breeder

For the fifth consecutive year, Sheikh Mohammed's breeding and racing operation Godolphin has topped the North American standings for breeders as individuals and among individuals with partnerships. Godolphin has continually raised the bar with each successive title it's earned, setting a new high in 2025 with total earnings at $27,288,066. When horses bred in partnership are considered, Godolphin's total earnings rise to $28,590,307, according to statistics managed by TJC Innovations. A total of 22 black-type winners were bred by Godolphin, including 12 graded stakes winners that visited the winner's circle sporting the racing stable's distinctive blue silks. As expected, Godolphin is also listed among the finalists in the Eclipse Award categories of outstanding breeder and outstanding owner. Godolphin has been recognized with both titles for the past four years and was also named outstanding owner in 2020. "It is for us at Godolphin it's a realization of all the work that has been put down for years to get to the stage where you are nominated as an owner or breeder," Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock, said on the Jan. 5 edition of the BloodHorse Monday podcast. "It is not one horse that is carrying you there; it is a collective of the stable that's doing that and a collective of how well the trainers are doing for you. All the people at the farm that get us there, getting the horses in as good a shape as possible from foaling them out to raising them as yearlings. … To be able do with successive years is something we are very proud of … and so important to us." As much as Godolphin has achieved internationally, the 2025 racing year still reached new milestones. Godolphin celebrated its first Kentucky Derby (G1) with Sovereignty, who went on to win the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1). The celebration at Churchill Downs actually started Friday when Godolphin homebred Good Cheer captured the Kentucky Oaks (G1), giving the stable its second victory in this prestigious race for sophomore fillies. Pretty Mischievous captured the first Oaks for Godolphin in 2023. Other homebred graded stakes winners include Notable Speech (GB), who won the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), and Rebel's Romance (IRE), who won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T), along with Bella Ballerina, East Avenue, First Mission, Knightsbridge, Pondering, Ragtime, Think Big, and Verity. Overall, Godolphin-bred runners won 218 races out of 1,294 starts, a win rate of 17%. Among horses bred with partners, Godolphin won 263 races from 1,598 starts. The late Brereton C. Jones ranked second among the leading individual breeders with $11,552,109 in earnings and 226 wins out of 1,494 starts. WinStar Farm ranked second among breeders with partners with $13,185,006 in earnings and 246 wins out of 1,530 starts. Rounding out the top 10 individual breeders are: WinStar Farm, $11,428,977 (188 wins/1,201 starts) Don Alberto, $10,959,009 (132/782) Calumet Farm, $10,569,545 (300/2,187) Spendthrift Farm, $7,796,784, (144/823) Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, $6,620,664 (118/789) Gary & Mary West Stables, $5,747,255 (133/754) Juddmonte, $5,532,656 (47/249) Dixiana Farms, $5,174,892 (70/517) Completing the list of the top 10 breeders including partnerships were: Brereton C. Jones, $11,803,757 (235 wins/1,567 starts) Don Alberto, $11,395,309 (137/844) Calumet Farm, $10,638,647 (301/2,232) Spendthrift Farm, $7,800,487 (144/825) Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, $6,958,891 (126/821) Fred W. Hertrich III, $6,939,154 (139/1,067) Machmer Hall, $6,013,472 (159/1,033) Gary & Mary West Stables, $5,747,255 (133/754)