After a gallant third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) in 2024, Notable Speech secured victory in the 2025 edition—a key accomplishment in earning the title of 2025 Eclipse champion turf male.
Notable Speech, a British homebred for 2025 leading owner and breeder Godolphin, is out of the group-placed mare Swift Rose, a daughter of Invincible Spirit.
The son of Dubawi started his 2025 season with three off-the-board finishes overseas, before finishing just a head short of Diego Velazquez in the Prix Jacques Le Marois (G1) in August. Following that confidence-boosting effort, Notable Speech was shipped to North America where he won the Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) by 1 3/4 lengths, serving as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Mile.
Trainer Charlie Appleby knew the firm turf at Del Mar would suit the colt's style, so he came into the Breeders' Cup with steadfast confidence in his improving charge. Notable Speech was kept snugly on the rail in the Breeders' Cup Mile by jockey William Buick and waited until the final turn to unleash his run, winning by 1 1/2 lengths over multiple grade 1 winner Formidable Man.
"For Notable Speech to do what he did in North America, winning up at Woodbine and then going to the Breeders' Cup, William Buick giving him that world-class ride, riding down the rail and we knew that he's got this powerful turn of foot, and if he got the openings, that was the easiest way to try to win the Breeders' Cup Mile," said Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan.
Notable Speech became the ninth Breeders' Cup winner by Darley stallion Dubawi, putting the sire in a tie with Into Mischief for winningest Breeders' Cup sire.
Appleby said the Woodbine Mile helped prepare Notable Speech for Del Mar.
"We like to bring a horse that fits the conditions," Appleby said after the Breeders' Cup Mile win. "I'm always keen to get them on these turning tracks before you come to a championship meeting. It's invaluable to get around there as best you can.
"In the case of Notable Speech, he was able to run on the inside track at Woodbine," the trainer added, "so I came here with a lot more confidence on the back of that run."
Notable Speech edged his stablemate and 2024 champion turf male, Rebel's Romance, for the 2025 Eclipse Award honor, with his win in the Breeders' Cup Mile sealing the deal. Godolphin's Rebel's Romance, a gelded 8-year-old son of Dubawi, won the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2022 and 2024 and was runner-up in 2025.
"It's fantastic having both of those horses staying in training, and hopefully we'll see them back at Keeneland here in the fall (for the 2026 Breeders' Cup)," Banahan said of Notable Speech and Rebel's Romance.
Notable Speech finished the year with a 2-1-0 record from six starts and earnings of $1,851,001.
