Goldikova glitters in Prix d'Ispahan

"She is extraordinary," Head marveled, according to sportinglife.com. "She

broke the record for the race and it was a tough race. She was never far away

and was the first to go for home and to keep on going is something else.

"That was over nine furlongs today too. A mile is her distance -- definitely,

she is a miler. She can go early or wait at the back -- she is a freak.

"She never surprises me, but I must say I was a bit worried during the race

because I thought they had gone too quick," he added. "That was my only worry,

but she showed she could do it."

The top two were in a race of their own, for it was another 10 lengths back

to third-place finisher Wiener Walzer (Dynaformer), last year's Deutsches Derby

(Ger-G1) winner. Wiener Walzer was himself six lengths clear of multiple Group 1

queen Stacelita (Monsun), who in turn crossed the wire 10 lengths ahead of

Runaway (King's Best). The early leaders Next Vision and Celebrissime followed,

while Board Meeting (Anabaa) was distanced. Vertigineux (Nombre Premier) was

withdrawn.

Goldikova's eighth Grade/Group 1 triumph improved her mark to 16-11-2-2 with

approximately $4.27 million in earnings. The five-year-old had not raced since

November 7, when she captured the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita for the

second straight year. That netted her an Eclipse Award as America's champion

turf female.

Two-for-two as a juvenile in 2007, Goldikova chased the peerless Zarkava a

couple of times as a three-year-old. She recovered from a nearly disastrous

start to finish second in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand

Guineas) (Fr-G1) and subsequently checked in a non-staying third in the Prix de

Diane (French Oaks) (Fr-G1). Goldikova resumed the winning thread when getting

away from Zarkava in the Prix Chloe (Fr-G3), then went on to defeat older horses

in the Prix Rothschild (Fr-G1) and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-G1). She

capped her 2008 campaign in the Breeders' Cup Mile, where she dethroned Kip

Deville by 1 1/4 lengths and extended her winning streak to four.

Goldikova suffered a shock defeat in her 2009 bow in the Prix d'Ispahan,

winding up a well-beaten seventh on soft ground. Sidelined for nearly two months

thereafter, she returned with a comfortable score in the Falmouth S. (Eng-G1).

Goldikova posted an effortless title defense in the Prix Rothschild, which was

just a prelude to her six-length rout of males in the Prix Jacques le Marois

(Fr-G1) in stakes-record time. She was freshened in advance of her prep in the

Prix de la Foret (Fr-G1), finishing third in a massive upset, but rebounded to

defend her Breeders' Cup title.

Goldikova has her sights set on an unprecedented three-peat in the Mile,

scheduled for November 6 at Churchill Downs. Head has identified her next target

as the June 15 Queen Anne S. (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot.

"The Queen Anne comes at exactly the right time, it is the right distance and

I think she will love the straight mile there," Head said.

The Irish-bred mare was produced by the winning Blushing Groom (Fr) mare Born

Gold, who is also responsible for Group 3 scorers Gold Round (Caerleon) and Gold

Sound (Fr) (Green Tune), the Group 3-placed pair of Born Something (Ire) (Caerleon)

and Red Tune (Green Tune), and the unraced juvenile filly Galikova (Galileo

[Ire]). Born Gold is a full sister to multiple Group 1 heroine Gold Splash.

Goldikova's second dam is Group 1 queen Riviere d'Or (Lyphard), and her third

dam is champion Gold River (Fr) (Riverman), who captured the 1981 Prix de l'Arc

de Triomphe (Fr-G1).