Michael Banahan: “It was the most incredible weekend we could have possibly had”

Godolphin USA’s key voice reflects on the achievements of Sovereignty, Good Cheer, and the European triumphs, with eyes now set on the Belmont Stakes—and the ultimate dream: winning the Classic

Michael Banahan, a key architect behind Godolphin’s remarkable success in the U.S. / KEENELAND

By Diego H. Mitagstein

Michael Banahan is, without a doubt, one of the key cogs in the Godolphin machine in the United States. The operation of Sheikh Mohammed just wrapped up a sensational weekend, celebrating a victory in the GI Kentucky Derby with Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and in the GI Kentucky Oaks with the undefeated Good Cheer (Medaglia d’Oro), while also enjoying transatlantic success courtesy of Ruling Court (Justify) and Desert Flower (Night of Thunder), who swept the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, respectively.

In that context, Banahan’s interview on Friday with Objetivo Breeders' Cup, part of the Turf Diario media network, felt like a rare treat. His comments, filled with global perspective and insight, merit a full recount. He delved into the daily workings behind America’s top 3-year-old, the reasoning behind his absence from next week’s GI Preakness Stakes, and what lies ahead.

TD: What does winning the Kentucky Derby mean for Godolphin and how would you describe such a remarkable weekend for the team?

Banahan: It’s a race Sheikh Mohammed, the founder of Godolphin, has always dreamed of winning. He’s dedicated enormous resources and made a long-term commitment, whether buying racehorses or yearlings. It's been a continual pursuit, and we're incredibly grateful to have accomplished it with a horse Godolphin bred and raised right here in the U.S. To add to it, we also won the Oaks with Good Cheer, an undefeated filly by our own Medaglia d’Oro, also bred in-house. It truly made for the most incredible weekend we could’ve imagined.

TD: What was the most challenging part of securing Godolphin’s first Kentucky Derby victory?

Banahan: Just getting there. A few years ago, we went in with Essential Quality (Tapit), the favorite, undefeated, a champion 2-year-old with a brilliant pedigree. He came into the race perfectly, off a win in the GI Blue Grass. We thought that might be the moment—but it wasn’t his day. He still ended up champion 3-year-old, but we didn’t get the Derby. It takes years of trying to find the right horse. We don't target it exclusively, but we certainly strive to develop a colt that’s good enough not just to run, but to win. That takes time. We were fortunate this year with a very strong group of 2-year-olds in 2024 who trained on well into their 3-year-old seasons. We were lucky—very lucky—to have two strong runners in the Derby this year, and you need a lot of good horses to win that race.

TD: What are Sovereignty’s biggest strengths? What sets him apart as a Derby winner?

Banahan: He has the perfect genetics—by one of the top sires in Into Mischief, out of a beautiful Bernardini mare, great physical, tremendous family. If you go back to the third dam, you find Lakeway, a multiple Grade I winner who also ran second in the Oaks. From birth, he was a big, good-looking colt. He progressed well through the fall last year, kept improving, and as a yearling, he was one of our standouts. When we sent him to Florida to begin training, he met every challenge. Back in Kentucky, he kept dreaming us forward. Bill Mott had a lot of good colts in his barn, but this one stood out immediately. When he started breezing, he showed that promise. Bill was confident entering him in his debut on Travers Day at Saratoga—one of the toughest maiden days of the year. He ran a good fourth, finishing strongly, and people were buzzing about him. He was second next out, and that’s when we knew he needed two turns and more ground. We ran him in the GIII Street Sense S. at Churchill, and he broke his maiden there. That gave us two key things: experience over the Churchill surface and a win.

Every time Bill asked him a question in training, he responded. After a slight fever in January, he missed a few works, so we were a bit delayed starting his 3-year-old campaign. He prepped well in the GII Fountain of Youth and then ran a strong second in the GI Florida Derby. When he got to Kentucky, he started thriving—eating well, galloping with energy. He had an outstanding final work two weeks before the Derby that really excited us. Bill was relaxed and happy with how he came into the race, and we knew we had him as good as we could.

TD: Was it a tough call to skip the Preakness? What led to that decision?

Banahan: It was a team decision. We met with Bill for a couple of days and weighed the pros and cons. The Preakness is, of course, an important leg of the Triple Crown. But we felt that in the best interest of the horse, we’d skip it and give him an extra two weeks to come back for the GI Belmont Stakes. That timing mirrors the gap between the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, and we saw how well that suited him. He had a tough race on Derby Day, the track was demanding, and this gives us a chance to look long-term. We want him not only for the rest of this year—but potentially to keep him in training next year and maybe even target the Dubai World Cup. We're thinking ahead.

TD: Back to Good Cheer—you mentioned her earlier, but she really seems like something special.

Banahan: She’s unbeaten and has done everything right. She keeps improving every time. Last year, we had Immersive, our champion 2-year-old filly, and we thought she was our Oaks filly, with Good Cheer pointing to the GI Alabama, since we always knew she wanted more ground. But when Immersive had to take time off, Good Cheer stepped up in a big way. Brad Cox and his team have done a phenomenal job. She’s very classy—goes about her business the right way. Luis Saez knows her well, trusts her completely, and even gave her a wider trip in the Oaks to make sure she stayed out of trouble.

TD: Now that Godolphin has checked off the Derby, what’s the next dream to chase?

Banahan: One race we haven’t won that we’d love to is the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. We’ve been there with horses like Frosted and Essential Quality, but haven’t gotten it done yet. That would be very meaningful. And of course, we’d love to be back in the Derby. It’s such a special race—the most iconic in American racing.