Resolute Thinking Big with Giant Sequoia, Goliath

Big-spending owner John Stewart believes the last week could mark a watershed moment for his Resolute Racing operation as he bids to establish it as a major new global force in racing. Stewart founded Resolute Racing in 2023 with the purchase of the former Shadayid Stud in Kentucky. Since then, he has spent significant sums on blue-blooded broodmares, and Giant Sequoia, the first of their homebreds to hit the track, was impressive enough to become the 2027 Epsom Derby (G1) favorite with a victory at the Curragh in the June 28 Barronstown Stud Irish EBF. That continued a fantastic week for Stewart, who can also contemplate a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) bid next year with his current flagbearer Goliath (GER) following France Galop's decision to allow geldings into the race from next year. Giant Sequoia, owned in partnership with Coolmore and Westerberg, is a Frankel (GB) colt out of Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood and was always deemed special from the moment he hit the ground. "We knew Giant Sequoia was special when we first saw him, and we're delighted to be partners with Coolmore and have him racing for Aidan (O'Brien) at Ballydoyle," Stewart said. "Both of our main farm guys are Irish, and they thought he was pretty special from day one. I remember Noel (Murphy), our farm manager, called him 'Frankie' on the farm and said that this one was going to win the Derby! "Coolmore have sold us some really nice mares, and I always go back to them first and give them first right of refusal for anything coming out of their stock, particularly if we're looking for a partner. When they saw the horse, they thought he could be something special as a yearling. "It takes a few years to get your own homebreds, and it's surreal that the first one to race is racing with Ballydoyle and is a prospect who people believe could win the Derby—it's unbelievable." A founder of a prominent Lexington-based private equity firm, Stewart's huge spending power has raised eyebrows, but he believes he's starting to benefit from focusing on quality bloodlines such as those from Coolmore. "I was criticized for spending a lot of money, but I've always learned that quality is what makes the difference in an investment," he said. "You can buy stuff cheap, and sometimes you can hit the lottery, but over the long term you've a better chance at being successful with quality stock. "People told us we overpaid, but overall, we're now really seeing the quality come through. We have a Baaeed filly and a Not This Time colt out of Purely Priceless, and her filly (Rebel Moon) is undefeated in two starts in Ireland, which is another Coolmore bloodline. I bought Victorium, a Deep Impact out of Minding, who was in foal to Dubawi as well, and we've got a nice colt out of her. We have a mare called Love And Beauty, and her full brother is Scandinavia. "Coolmore has invested millions in the bloodlines of the best North American and European pedigrees, and when I set up shop, I did a couple of purchases with them, and it's turned out really good. You need to be lucky, but you can create your own luck when you make good, solid investments." Resolute Racing is starting to make huge strides in Europe, and Stewart says they're here to stay. "When I started out, I wanted to compete in the biggest races in the world, and that's why I have horses in Europe and Australia, and we've been to Japan and the Middle East. We've got partnerships with Coolmore, like with Believing last year. We have Ridari, who we bought in partnership with Kia (Joorabchian), and we just sent him over to race in Ireland. We showed up at Goffs at the yearling sale last year, and those horses are with Francis Graffard." Graffard also trains Stewart's biggest star, Goliath, the gelding who won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes(G1) at Ascot in 2024 and was third in this year's Hardwicke Stakes (G2) back at the same track. Irrespective of whether Goliath will contest next year's Arc, Stewart believes the decision from France Galop to allow geldings into the race is a positive one and will lead to a more competitive race. "Whether Goliath has a chance of running in it or not, I've been an advocate of it. I understand the breeders' aspect in terms of how important those races are to stallions, but I started out as a fan and a punter, and we want the best horses up against each other. "I think it'll take it up a notch and make it really exciting. I don't think geldings will dominate, and I was able to buy Goliath because he was a gelding. I don't stand stallions, so unless you're willing to pay the price the stallion farms ask, you're not going to have a chance to own some of these horses, so they give an opportunity for a broader group of people to participate."