Next Year's Derby for Godolphin?

ARCADIA, Calif., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Part of the buzz coming out of the Breeders' Cup World Championships is always the prospect for the next spring:

Will the 2-year-old winners make it to the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks?

Now that question has a new dimension after the Breeders' Cup Juvenile victory by Vale of York for the powerful -- but Kentucky Derby winless -- Godolphin Stable.

Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and master of Godolphin, is one of the most successful horsemen in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Godolphin has had a banner year. Yet, in more than a decade of trying, the stable hasn't come close to winning the Kentucky Derby.

Sheikh Mohammed won last year's Juvenile with Midshipman, a colt he purchased shortly before that race from Stonerside Stable. But Midshipman ran in the Sheikh's Darley Stable colors, not for Godolphin. And he didn't make it to this year's Triple Crown trail, instead finishing third in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in only his second start as a 3-year-old.

Could Vale of York be the one?

"I think we'll definitely take him back to Dubai," said Simon Crisford, racing manager for Godolphin. He said he will "look at" the early 3-year-old races at the new Meydan race track, including the UAE Derby on World Cup day.

"But after that, we'll look at the Kentucky Derby," Crisford said. "We need to make it through the next stage before we can make any firm commitments.

"But of all our 2-year-olds we have right now, he would be the one we're looking at for Churchill Downs."

Another consideration, Crisford said, is that Vale of York has never run on a traditional dirt track. His earlier races in England and Italy were on grass and the Breeders' Cup was run over Santa Anita's artificial Pro-Ride surface.

"It's always a concern," he said. "But the horse booked his ticket, winning today. He's certainly booked his ticket to be given the respect to try to get there, anyway. Let's hope he can get there.

"He's pretty versatile, this horse."