Notable Speech, Aomori City look to make their mark in Keeneland

American Champion Male Turf horse Notable Speech returns to the US in search of a third consecutive G1 success in the Maker’s Mark Mile, with Aomori City also lining up in the Keeneland highlight on Friday.

Notable Speech was honoured at the 2025 Eclipse Awards following exhilarating victories in the Woodbine Mile and Breeders’ Cup Mile, which was run at Del Mar.

The Charlie Appleby-trained five-year-old started his career with four straight wins, a sequence that culminated with success in the G1 2,000 Guineas, making the son of Dubawi the first horse since 1938 to win the Newmarket Classic having not raced at two.

He also captured the G1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood as a three-year-old and was narrowly beaten into third in the same season’s Breeders’ Cup Mile – his only defeat in three North American appearances.

Stablemate Aomori City also finished a close third at the 2024 Breeders’ Cup, with the son of Oasis Dream going down by three-quarters of a length in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Winner of the G2 Vintage Stakes at two, Aomori City was runner-up to subsequent G1 Dubai Turf second Quddwah in the G2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan in January before fading down the field in the Listed Abu Dhabi Gold Cup a month later.

Appleby said: “Notable Speech and Aomori City breezed on the grass at Keeneland on Tuesday morning, and everyone was happy with them both.

“Notable Speech has a profile that speaks for itself. We know he enjoys the tracks out in North America, especially racing around a bend on fast ground, and he goes back there in great shape. Like several of the field, this is his first start of the season and we expect some improvement for the run, but anything near his Breeders’ Cup performance will make him hard to beat. We are looking forward to getting his season started.

“Aomori City was placed in a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and we know he likes the style of racing out in America, with the flat tracks and quick turf. He is fit and well on the back of a winter in Dubai. His last run in Abu Dhabi was disappointing but, if you put a line through that effort, some of his other form reads well and he is entitled to be in the race.”

Quiet Street drops back down to five and a half furlongs for her first three-year-old outing in the G3 Limestone Stakes on the same card.

The daughter of Street Boss made a winning debut for Bill Mott over the distance at Saratoga prior to taking the valuable Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs over a furlong further. She kept on to finish third when stepping up to an extended mile for the G2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Aqueduct.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin US, said: “The Limestone has come up as a very competitive race, with multiple Stakes winners including the winner of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in Cy Fair.

“Bill has been happy with Quiet Street overall – she is a light-framed, high-energy filly and his toughest job is keeping her from doing too much. She has a nice draw [4] outside of some speed, with the shorter priced fillies outside of her.

“Hopefully, she will get a favourable trip as she usually comes from off the pace and will have to navigate her way through some traffic. We expect her to run well and are excited to get her season started.”

Meanwhile, My Highness warmed up for this year’s Classics with a clear second behind surprise winner Showna in the G3 Prix Imprudence at Deauville, France, on Tuesday.

Lining up for Andre Fabre 226 days after winning the G2 Prix du Calvados, My Highness was quickly into her stride and soon raced in third of a group of five towards the centre of the course, with the other seven runners choosing to come up the stands’ rail.

My Highness travelled ominously into the race after the two groups converged at the halfway point in the seven-furlong trial, and the Ghaiyyath filly appeared to hold every chance when joining Isle Of Fernandez over a furlong out.

Showna, making her fourth appearance of the year, quickened by the front two shortly after before going on to prevail by two and a half lengths.

My Highness hit the line well for Alexis Pouchin, coming home a length and three-quarters clear of Isle Of Fernandez.