Dramatic Ending From Cinderella's Dream in Belmont Oaks

Godolphin's first-call overseas rider, William Buick, traveled to the United States for key mounts July 6 during the Belmont at the Big A meet, riding Legend of Time (GB) in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) and Cinderella's Dream (GB) in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T), both for British trainer Charlie Appleby. Though Legend of Time would mildly disappoint, finishing third after being in traffic for much of the race, Cinderella's Dream did not, rallying from the back of the pack to catch front-runners Segesta and She Feels Pretty in the $500,000 Belmont Oaks and win by three-quarters of a length. She raced 1 3/16 miles on firm turf in 1:53.42, establishing a course record over the infrequently run distance. "From the quarter pole, I always felt I was going to get there," Buick said. "She showed when she ran in Dubai in the winter that she has a real good kick, but I was a little bit impressed with her," noting that Segesta set a comfortable pace and She Feels Pretty was well positioned tracking her. "So my filly had to pick up well to pick those two fillies off," he said. Though he rides sparingly in the U.S., usually just flying in for key mounts in lucrative stakes races, Saturday's win marked Buick's third top-level domestic stakes success of 2024. Earlier this year, he respectively won the Manhattan Stakes (G1T) and Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) with Measured Time (GB) and Master of The Seas (IRE), also for Godolphin and Appleby. The 35-year-old Norwegian-born rider winters in Dubai and lives in Newmarket, England, the rest of the year. Cinderella's Dream, a homebred 3-year-old daughter of the late Shamardal for Godolphin out of the Dubawi (IRE) mare Espadrille (GB), scored her fifth victory in six starts and her first at the graded level. All of her other races had come in either Britain or Dubai, with her only loss being a seventh-place finish in the One Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket in her most recent start May 5. Appleby said the ground in the One Thousand Guineas may not have suited Cinderella's Dream—it was officially classified as "good" but more tiring than American tracks with the same designation—and he believed stretching out from that mile distance was beneficial. Winner of the Jumeirah One Thousand Guineas in March at Meydan Racecourse, she paid $9.30 for a $2 win wager as the second choice in the field of nine. For Appleby, who brought a larger string of horses to campaign in the U.S. from spring through fall this year, Saturday's victory marked yet another domestic achievement. "He sort of cherry-picked horses he thought would do well to this style of racing in America, and that's the ninth graded stakes he's won since the spring here," noted Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA. Appleby said Cinderella's Dream would be pointed to the Aug 2 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course. Segesta gamely turned back favored She Feels Pretty in a photo finish for the place, outnodding her. Pin Up Betty ran fourth. Shamardal, who was euthanized in 2020 due to health issues, was a European champion and classic winner. He sired eight champions, including Able Friend (AUS), the 2015 Horse of the Year in Hong Kong. Cinderella's Dream is one of three foals from her dam, whose most recent foal is an unraced 2-year-old filly named Blue Laced, a daughter of Farhh (GB).