Recently honored with its fifth consecutive Eclipse Award for leading owner and having campaigned seven equine North American champions over the last four years, Godolphin – the global operation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum – has achieved a remarkable amount of success in the United States. The Kentucky Derby remains one of the few prizes that has eluded Godolphin. From 1999 through 2021, Godolphin has started 12 horses in 10 runnings of the Derby. Favored Essential Quality, who crossed the wire fourth and was eventually elevated to third due to the disqualification of Medina Spirit in 2021, is Godolphin’s best finish. That number of starters doesn’t count Arazi, a horse Sheikh Mohammed bought half-interest in for $9 million prior to his romp in the 1991 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Arazi finished eighth in the 1992 Derby. “Any big race globally is a big target for Godolphin, for Sheikh Mohammed,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin’s director of bloodstock. “I don’t think there’s been any wilting of ambition to try and win any of those big races, so I think the Derby will be one of the types of races we’d love to win. Obviously, we haven’t won it yet. It’s a big goal every year.” :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2025: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more This year, Godolphin has four horses nominated to the Triple Crown and all four have made it onto Daily Racing Form’s inaugural Derby Watch, a list of 20 top contenders compiled by DRF’s David Aragona and Brad Free. The Godolphin quartet – all homebreds – consists of East Avenue, Sovereignty, First Resort, and Poster. All won stakes as 2-year-olds. Over the next four weeks, all four are expected to make their 3-year-old debuts, beginning Saturday, when the unbeaten Poster runs in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. On Feb. 15, East Avenue, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity winner, is expected to run in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds. First Resort, winner of the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club last November at Churchill Downs, is being pointed to the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park on Feb. 22. Sovereignty, winner of the Street Sense Stakes last October, may start in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 1 after missing some training time earlier this winter due to a fever. East Avenue, a son of Medaglia d’Oro trained by Brendan Walsh, was brilliant winning his first two starts, including the Breeders Futurity. A stumble at the start took him out of his game in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, where he finished ninth. “One thing he hasn’t answered yet is coming from the off the pace,” Banahan said. “The Breeders’ Cup was a non-event, we’ll draw a line through that. He’s training very well. We think he’s in a good position.” Sovereignty, a son of Into Mischief trained by Bill Mott, won his maiden in his third start, the Street Sense Stakes, at Churchill going a one-turn mile last Oct. 27. He made an eye-catching move to win by five lengths. “Sovereignty seemed like he really enjoyed Churchill that day and looks like a horse the farther they go the better for him,” Banahan said. “That’ll give you plenty of encouragement.” First Resort, a son of Uncle Mo, was another who showed an affinity for Churchill, winning the Kentucky Jockey Club by 2 1/4 lengths last Nov. 30. “First Resort I thought was very impressive with his tactical speed, the way he put the race to bed in the Jockey Club on the track that we need to have a good run on,” Banahan said. Poster, after winning his first two starts on turf, successfully made the transition to dirt, winning the Remsen at 1 1/8 miles by a nose over Aviator Gui. Banahan said jockey Flavien Prat said afterward he made a premature move on Poster in the Remsen. “It was probably the winning move. He just got a little bit green coming down the stretch, first time he ever raced on the dirt, so I think there’s plenty of optimism for him that he’d like a distance of ground,” Banahan said. “Physically, he looks like that type of horse, and out of a Tapit mare, which would give you some encouragement as well that he’d get that distance.” Poster, by Munnings, is out of the dam Pin Up, who is a half-sister to Bernardini, winner of the 2006 Preakness under Shiekh Mohammed’s Darley banner. The aforementioned Essential Quality, won the 2021 Belmont for Godolphin. Both Poster and First Resort are trained by Eoin Harty, who among U.S.-based horsemen, has trained for Godolphin the longest. Harty, a former assistant to Bob Baffert when he won the Derby with Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998), has competed in three Derbies himself, finishing sixth with Colonel John in 2008. “We’re very excited that we have them spread across three different trainers,” Banahan said. “Obviously, Eoin has been a long-standing trainer for us – the longest-standing training in the U.S. – that currently trains for us. We’re excited that he has those horses and the opportunity to get them there.” :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. The field for the Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters, though 24 may enter, with four being designated also-eligibles. If more than 20 horses enter – which has been the case in 23 of the last 26 years – the field is determined based on a points system Churchill first put in place 2013 where designated races award points based on the first five finish positions. The top 17 point earners in North America-based races earn a spot in the Derby field. Churchill holds one spot for the horse who earns the most points in selected races in Japan. In a change from years past, Churchill reserves two spots for horses based in Europe or the Middle East based on points earned in a series of select races. That series now includes the UAE Derby, a race in Dubai that had previously been part of America’s primary road to the Derby. If the Japan or European/Middle Eastern horses don’t take those spots, then the next highest point-earners in the United States can get into the Derby. Last year, two Japan-based horses – Forever Young and T O Password – finished third and fifth, respectively, in the Derby. Forever Young earned his way in by capturing the UAE Derby. Churchill has designated 36 North American stakes as qualifying points races, with the highest points being awarded in races held in late March and early April. The Virigina Derby is the newest points-scoring race on the calendar. Previously a turf race in the summer, it has been moved to the dirt and March 15. There have been 13 different winners of the 18 points-qualifying races run so far. Citizen Bull, the 2024 champion 2-year-old, has won three of those races and has basically secured his spot in the Derby gate with 60 points. Coal Battle, trained by veteran horseman Lonnie Briley, is the other horse to win multiple Derby points races. Citizen Bull is trained by Bob Baffert. The six-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer is eligible to run horses in the Derby after a three-year ban placed on him by Churchill owing to the disqualification of Medina Spirit from the 2021 Kentucky Derby due to a medication violation. In addition to Citizen Bull, Baffert has Rodriguez, runner-up to Citizen Bull in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and Barnes, who has won both his starts sprinting, in the inaugural Derby Watch. Saturday’s Sam Davis is the only Kentucky Derby points-qualifying race scheduled this weekend. In addition to Poster, the 1 1/16-mile race, which offers 42 points – 20 to the winner – was expected to attract stakes winners Owen Almighty, Naughty Rascal, and Smoken Boy, as well as stakes-placed Treaty of Rome. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.