Multiple stakes winner Mi Bago could contest this year's Two Thousand Guineas (G1) with United States and Canada Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse labeling the 3-year-old "an exceptional horse".
Owned by Gary Barber, Mi Bago was one of 57 colts nominated for the first classic of the season at Newmarket May 3 alongside ante-post favorite The Lion In Winter and last year's European champion 2-year-old male Shadow of Light.
The entry is an increase from 49 in 2024 and includes eight potential contenders for Aidan O'Brien, six for Charlie Appleby, and three for Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing.
A son of 2024's North American leading first crop sire Vekoma , Mi Bago has won five of his seven starts, with his most recent success coming in the March 1 Colonel Liam Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Florida by 4 3/4 lengths. The Colonel Liam was the colt's third consecutive stakes victory.
Casse is one of America's leading trainers and in 2019 landed the Preakness Stakes (G1) with War of Will and the Belmont Stakes (G1) with Sir Winston . He also made a major mark in Britain with Tepin's victory in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in 2016.
Casse said: "I think Mi Bago is an exceptional horse and his win the other day was super impressive. I don't know for sure whether he'll go for the Guineas and it's a discussion I'll have to have with his owner.
"I haven't been there in a while but we've had success in the past with Tepin. It takes an extremely special horse for us to go over and be competitive; we know that, and in my mind, he is that horse, so it's under discussion.
"We don't make these entries very often, which I think tells its own story. I'm not really sure what the next race will be for him after his win at the weekend. We're looking at options for him and that's one of the reasons why we thought we'd nominate him for this race and see how we go."
There is also potential U.S. representation in the May 4 One Thousand Guineas (G1), with leading California trainer Phil d'Amato nominating Tigerish, while Vertical Blue could line up for big-spending U.S. owner John Stewart and trainer Francis Graffard.
A total of 43 fillies have been nominated, six fewer than last year, with Aidan O'Brien responsible for nine. These include ante-post favorite and 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Lake Victoria and Fairy Godmother, who was last seen winning the June 21 Albany Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot.
