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Midshipman sidelined by recurrence of old injury

Midshipman's signature victory came in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Benoit Photos) Champion MIDSHIPMAN (Unbridled's Song), who was forced out of the 2009 Triple Crown by a soft tissue injury, has suffered a recurrence of the same injury, Godolphin announced Friday. All plans are now on hold for the four-year-old colt, who was an impressive winner of a February 25 conditions race last time out at Meydan. "It is a great shame he has had this setback as we had been so pleased with his last run," Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager, told godolphin.com. "We will not make any decisions about his future until he gets reassessed when he returns to America next month," Crisford added. Midshipman had been considered a prime contender for the March 27 Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2) on Dubai World Cup night, but his name was notably absent from the list of likely fields released last Monday by the Dubai Racing Club.

Bred in Kentucky by Robert and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stable, Midshipman was originally campaigned by his breeders and trained by Bob Baffert. A debut maiden winner at Del Mar, the chestnut captured the 2008 Del Mar Futurity (G1) and finished a close second in the Norfolk S. (G1).

Midshipman joined the Maktoum empire when Sheikh Mohammed purchased the Stonerside horses, and he made his first official start in the Darley silks a winning one in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

Voted America's champion two-year-old male on the heels of that front-running triumph, Midshipman was subsequently transferred to the elite Godolphin operation. He was sent to Dubai to prepare for his assault on the 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1), only to sustain the aforementioned soft tissue injury.

Midshipman has raced only four times since the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Returning from a nearly 11-month layoff last September, he posted a 3 1/4-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance/optional claimer at Belmont Park in his first outing for Saeed bin Suroor. With that single prep under his belt, Midshipman attempted to wire the field in the November 7 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, but yielded grudgingly late and was beaten all of three-quarters of a length in third.

Back in Dubai for the International Racing Carnival, Midshipman reappeared in the January 28 Maktoum Challenge Round 1 (UAE-G3) at Meydan, arguing the pace early before tiring in the closing stages for fourth. He moved forward off that effort to win an about seven-furlong conditions event in commanding style, improving his record to 8-5-1-1, $1,584,600.

Midshipman is out of multiple Grade 2 queen Fleet Lady (Avenue of Flags), making him a half-brother to Grade 2 heroine Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister), an unnamed juvenile filly by Distorted Humor and an unnamed yearling filly by Empire Maker. This is the family of French Group 1 winner and sire Salse (Topsider).

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