Godolphin's First Mission Could Return For Oaklawn Handicap; Nash Likely Off Derby Trail

A little more than three years after winning two stakes races on a Saturday card at Oaklawn, Godolphin struck again when First Mission and Nash, both even-money favorites, rolled to eye-catching scores Saturday for the global breeding/racing powerhouse.

First Mission captured the $600,000 Essex Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles by five lengths. Roughly a half-hour earlier, Triple Crown nominee Nash won the $200,000 Hot Springs for 3-year-olds at one mile by 5½ lengths. Florent Geroux rode both Godolphin homebreds for trainer Brad Cox, who had four victories on Saturday’s 10-race card.

Homebreds Mystic Guide and Essential Quality also carried Godolphin’s famed royal blue silks to stakes victories Feb. 27, 2021, at Oaklawn. Mystic Guide won the Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses and champion Essential Quality captured the Southwest (G3) for 3-year-olds.

“We like coming here for those,” Godolphin USA’s director of bloodstock Michael Banahan said moments after Saturday’s stakes sweep.

The Essex was a major bounce-back performance for First Mission, who captured the Lexington (G3) last April at Keeneland and concluded 2023 with a runner-up finish, beaten a nose, in the Clark (G2) Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs.

First Mission was among the favorites for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream, but he bombed in the 1 1/8-mile race and finished ninth, beaten 20½ lengths by National Treasure. Cox said he believed First Mission, in his 4-year-old debut, didn’t care for the kickback or the racing surface.

First Mission was a forward factor from the start in the Essex, stalking Great Escape from the outside before pouncing on the front-runner near the three-eighths pole, then cruising to the finish line. Carrying top weight of 121 pounds, First Mission ($4.20) ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in a meet-best 1:49.76. The race was previously run at 1 1/16 miles.

“He was clean the whole way around there,” Banahan said. “I just think maybe it was the kickback at Gulfstream. He certainly didn’t like the track down there for whatever reason. But every race he’s run in, he’s been a real professional and showed what he could do, so it was very disappointing the last time. So, it was nice to get him back here, get him back on track, get a win under his belt and then we can see where we can go after that. There are several options.”

The Essex was a major local prep for the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 20. Banahan said First Mission could resurface in the Oaklawn Handicap or the $750,000 Alysheba (G2) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles May 3 at Churchill Downs.

“We feel like he’s one of the better older horses in the country, so we’ll campaign him like that,” Banahan said.

Banahan said next-race plans are also pending for Triple Crown nominee Nash, who secured his first career stakes victory in the Hot Springs. Nash began 2024 on the Triple Crown trail at Fair Grounds, but he finished second to top-shelf Kentucky Derby prospects Track Phantom in the Lecomte (G3) Jan. 20 and Tuscan Sky in an allowance Feb. 17. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.

Class relief and a cutting back to a mile led to a blowout in the Hot Springs, Cox’s second consecutive victory in the race. Nash ($4) swept to the lead with a four-wide move on the second turn and coasted to the finish line. The winning time over a fast track was 1:38.49.

“He’s run well every race that we had him in,” Banahan said. “Probably figured out that he didn’t want to go that long. So, we backed him up to a two-turn mile and he did it well. Nice kick at the end and we’ll concentrate, maybe, on those type of races.”

Although Nash has 13 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, Banahan said there won’t be an 11^th-hour push to make the first leg of the Triple Crown May 4 at Churchill Downs.

“I don’t think it would be the right thing to do by the horse,” Banahan said. “I think he’s told us what he wants to do. Sort of confirmed it today doing that one-mile race. We’ll look at maybe the Pat Day Mile (G2) or something like that at Churchill and maybe later in the year, maybe try to stretch him a little.”

The $600,000 Pat Day Mille is on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Jorgito Abrego, who oversees Cox’s Oaklawn division, said Sunday morning that both First Mission and Nash exited their victories “very well.”

Moments after First Mission’s victory, Cox saddled Tarifa, another Godolphin homebred, to win the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.