Darley Stable

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2009 Record: (343-78-56-49)

2009 Earnings: $4,977,513

2009 Win %: 22% In-The-Money %: 53%

Owner(s): His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum
Born: July 22, 1949
Residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Family: married Sheikha Hind bint Juma al Maktoum 1979 ... Princess Haya of Jordan in April 2004 ... Four of his sons, Sheiks Rashid, Hamdan (owner of Eastern Anthem before he went to Godolphin), Mansoor (owner of Gladiatorus before he went to Godolphin), Ahmed, and Majid have been racing their own horses in Dubai each winter, while Sheik Rashid races under the name of Zabeel Stable. Sheikh Rashid owned Grade 1 winner Henny Hughes. ... Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum is now the Crown Prince of Dubai, while his namesake uncle Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum remains the Finance Minister of Dubai and head of Shadwell Stable. ... Princess Haya also has her own stable, led in 2008 by Epsom Derby winner New Approach and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Raven's Pass, who ended 2008 with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic, the first under the Darley banner. Her highness had her first child, Al Jalila, in Dec. 2007. Sheik Mohammed has 19 children.
Education: Attended Bell School of Languages (Cambridge, UK), Mons Officer Cadet School (Aldershot, UK)
Professional Background: He is the prime minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai. He was appointed Minister of Defense of Dubai and awarded rank of General in Dec. 1971... Appointed Crown Prince of Dubai Jan. 1995 and installed as ruler in Jan. 2006 following the death of his brother Sheik Maktoum Al Maktoum ... Created Emirates Airline and is responsible for many of the projects which have made Dubai a center for business and tourism, including the new horse racing city, Meydan, which is set to open in 2010
Web site: www.darley.co.uk
Racing Background: Saw his first horse race on May 5, 1967; watched Royal Palace win the 2,000 Guineas ... Purchased his first racehorse (Hatta, winner of four stakes including Molecomb Stakes) in 1976. ... The Sheikh was the driving force behind the creation of the Dubai World Cup, first run in 1996, and the Dubai Racing Carnival. He looks forward to another major triumph when he opens Meydan in 2010.
Racing Career: Leading owner in Britain every year from 1985 to 1999, with the exception of 1990 and 1995. ... In recent years, the cream of the Maktoum family horses have been concentrated under the Godolphin banner, which emerged in 1994 and soon established the policy of wintering the horses in Dubai, returning to England or the United States in April. ... Sheikh Mohammed augments his breeding operation with purchases at auction and boosted the 2009 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, making it the only American sale with increases all year, with a 11.1 percent increased average, and median up 9.9 percent, as leading buyer of 12 yearlings for $11,850,000. The 2008 purchase of Fasig-Tipton by a Dubai-based group of the sheikh's business associates received his great support as a supplier of international racehorses, as did Darley stallions. ... Through Oct. 23, 2009, Darley ranked third in the U.S. owner standings with 72 wins from 288 starts and $4,535,958.
Breeding/Racing Operation: Darley is the breeding arm of Sheikh Mohammed's global operation, with stallions standing at Dalham Hall Stud in England (the original property which remains the flagship farm), Kildangan Stud in Ireland, Darley America in Lexington, three properties in Australia, and Japan. ... In Europe, horses racing in Sheikh Mohammed's maroon and white Darley silks have been concentrated with Mark Johnston, Michael Jarvis, Mick Channon, Barry Hills and Ed Dunlop in England; John Oxx and Jim Bolger in Ireland; Andre Fabre and Alex Pantall in France; Peter Snowden and Lee Freedman in Australia; and Kiaran McLaughlin and Tom Albertrani in the U.S. The best will move to Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin racing operation. ... Bought Dalham Hall Stud near Newmarket, England, in 1981 as the headquarters of the Darley operation, which includes 10 satellite studs in the area ... Darley stands more than 50 stallions in five countries including the U.S. where they are based at the former Jonabell Farm, in Lexington. Sheik Mohammed purchased it in 2001, where it has been called Darley since 2007. Among the stallions are homebred 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini, the 1-2 finishers in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, Street Sense and Hard Spun, and leading sire Medaglia d'Oro, a July 2009 purchase Medaglia d'Oro allowed for 20 percent ownership to remain with Barry Weisbord and Richard Santulli. ... Has aggressively pursued top quality mares, particularly for Darley America stallions, at auction in recent years, including champion Ashado (record $9 million), Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Round Pond ($5.75 million), multiple G1 winner Octave ($4 million), and Playful Act, for a world record $10.5 million and in foal to Darley stallion Street Cry (Ire) with a Street Cry weanling at her side. ... Purchased the former Whitney Family's Greentree estate in Saratoga from Robert McNair in Jan. 2007 and train at the 120-acre Polytrack training track adjacent to Saratoga Race Course. In Aug. 2008, Sheik Mohammed purchased the balance of McNair's Stonerside racing operation, which included Midshipman, who went on to win the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in Darley's silks before moving to Godolphin. ... The 2008 Breeders’ Cup was huge for Darley, with Raven’s Pass, racing for Darley and Princess Haya, winning the Breeders' Cup Classic. Donativum and Coronet of a Baron finished one-two in the Juvenile Turf. ... Darley also expanded in Australia in March 2008 with the purchase of Woodlands Stud and the Crown Lodge racing operation from Robert Ingham ... Sheikh Mohammed paid $10.2 million, the second-highest price in Thoroughbred auction history, for a Northern Dancer colt at Keeneland in July 1983. Named Snaafi Dancer, he never raced and proved infertile at stud. That remains the highest price the Sheikh has paid at auction, but he approached it when spending $9.7 million for Jalil, a Storm Cat colt at Keeneland in Sept. 2006. He also was the underbidder for The Green Monkey, the world-record setting $16 million 2-year-old sold to rivals Coolmore in 2006 ... Among horses Sheikh Mohammed has raced in his own name are Breeders’ Cup Turf winners Pebbles and In the Wings, and Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Barathea. ... Balletto, a Darley homebred, was the first UAE-bred to compete in the Breeders' Cup; she finished third in the 2004 Juvenile Fillies and third (via disqualification) in the 2006 Distaff … While Sheik Mohammed has pushed to win an American classic with his Godolphin string, it was Bernardini who provided him with his first victory in a U.S. Triple Crown race. The colt went on to win the Travers and was runner-up to Invasor in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Classic. Graded winners Dubai Escapade and Songster helped Darley lead North America in earnings that year and shared an Eclipse Award with Lael Stables, as the 2006 outstanding Owner ... Entering the 2009 Cup, Darley, along with Princess Haya, is ranked 10th on the leading Breeders’ Cup owners by money won with $3,310,200 … Among the top runners bred by Darley in 2009 are homebred multiple graded stakes winner Criticism, G1 winner and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe third Cavalryman (racing in Sheikh Mohammed's name), and classic winner Mastery (racing for Godolphin). Racing for Darley but bred by other entities are G3 winner Everyday Heroes, G1-placed Past the Point, G2 winner Tizaqueena, and G3 winner Sea Chanter, trained by Todd Pletcher (the latter two bred by Stonerside). G1 winner Telling is bred by Darley and racing for JoAnn and Alex Lieblong. ... For more information, also see the bio for Godolphin.