First Mission aims to sign off with Clark Stakes glory

First Mission looks to bow out on a high before he takes up stallion duties at Jonabell Farm with victory in the G2 Clark Stakes on Friday.

Current Darley sires Maxfield and Proxy feature on the recent roll of honour for the Churchill Downs feature, with First Mission lining up in the race for a second time after going down by a nose to Trademark in the 2023 edition.

Winner of the G3 Lexington Stakes earlier the same year, First Mission has graduated to three more Graded Stakes victories, notably taking the 2024 G2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs by four lengths and easily winning the G2 Oaklawn Handicap in April.

The Brad Cox-trained son of Street Sense has also placed at G1 level, finishing third behind Mindframe and Sierra Leone over the Clark Stakes course and distance in a blockbuster renewal of the Stephen Foster Stakes in June.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, said: “First Mission is training very well for his final race and Brad was very pleased with his breeze last weekend. It is a very competitive and strong field with a few nice three-year-olds in the mix.

“I expect First Mission to run well and hopefully finish up his career with a win. If he runs up to his best form, he will take plenty of beating. Flavien Prat is in for the ride, and he is one for one on him and he probably ran his best race when he won the Oaklawn Handicap on him.”

Impressive debut winner Bella Ballerina aims to provide Godolphin with back-to-back victories in the G2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs, USA, on Saturday.

Good Cheer captured the extended-mile contest for juvenile fillies 12 months ago and returned on the first Friday in May to capture the G1 Kentucky Oaks.

Bella Ballerina is herself related to a Kentucky Oaks winner, being a half-sister to the 2023 scorer Pretty Mischievous, who was third in the 2022 Golden Rod Stakes.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Bella Ballerina made an exciting introduction at Keeneland in early October, when she stormed clear to take a six-furlong maiden by four and a quarter lengths.

Banahan said: “Bella Ballerina made an impressive debut last month at Keeneland. Brendan has been very happy with how she has done since then and Tyler Gaffalione worked her last weekend and was pleased with her breeze.

“The favourite Explora is coming out of a placed effort in the Breeders’ Cup, so she sets a high standard. Bella Ballerina will stretch out to two turns from six furlongs and will have to overcome a bit of a wide draw, but I don’t anticipate that either will be an issue.

“Brendan expects her to run very well and hopefully she can follow in the footsteps of our previous Golden Rod runners Good Cheer and Pretty Mischievous, who both went onto Kentucky Oaks glory the following spring.”

Meanwhile, Chapman’s Peak outbattled Outrunner in a sustained stretch duel for the G3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes, only to be collared in the shadow of the post by Giocoso in the Churchill Downs feature.

Seeking a third consecutive win on his Stakes debut, Chapman’s Peak was towards the head of affairs throughout the extended-mile contest, with Irad Ortiz Jr settling the Brad Cox-trained three-year-old in a three-quarter length second behind Outrunner.