Dance Card, dam of Cody's Wish, named Kentucky broodmare of the year

Dance Card, the dam of champion Cody’s Wish, was named Kentucky’s broodmare of the year as the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (KTOB) presented its seasonal awards at a ceremony Wednesday night in Lexington, Ky.

Dance Card, a Tapit mare bred in Kentucky by Bruce McMillin, was a $750,000 purchase by Godolphin out of the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Florida selected 2-year-olds in training sale. She went on to have a fine racing career, putting together a 7-4-1-2 record with earnings of $502,200.

Her biggest triumph came in the Grade 1 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct in 2012. She was third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint the following year.

As a broodmare, Dance Card has produced three winners from four starters. Her best-known runner is 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, who won 11 of 16 starts, including five Grade 1s, and earned more than $3.1 million. Last year, the son of Curlin won the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes and Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, and repeated in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to secure an Eclipse Award as outstanding older dirt male, in addition to Horse of the Year.

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Dance Card is also the dam of Endorsed, by Medaglia d’Oro, who won or placed in eight stakes races while retiring just shy of millionaire status. Last year, Endorsed won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile and Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes helping Dance Card earn her award.

Dance Card, also the dam of stakes-placed Bocephus, has an unnamed juvenile filly by Street Sense. She delivered a Gun Runner filly in 2023 and was bred back to Curlin for a full sibling to Cody’s Wish.

Dance Card’s honor led a big evening for Godolphin. Cody’s Wish, now standing his first season under the operation’s Darley banner in Kentucky, was named the Kentucky-bred horse of the year and champion older dirt male, while Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous was named champion 3-year-old filly – honors that mirrored their respective Eclipse Awards. Godolphin was recognized with the P.A.B. Widener Trophy as breeder of the year, and was also recognized as the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) top-earning owner.

KTOB Awards

Broodmare of the Year: Dance Card

Horse of the year, older dirt male: Cody’s Wish

2-year-old male: Fierceness

2-year-old female: Just F Y I

3-year-old male: Arcangelo

3-year-old female: Pretty Mischievous

Older dirt female, female sprinter: Goodnight Olive

Male turf: Up to the Mark

Female turf: War Like Goddess

Male sprinter: Elite Power

Racing abroad: Lemon Pop

Steeplechase: Snap Decision

Merit Awards

P.A.B. Widener Trophy: Godolphin

Charles W. Engelhard Award: Chris McGrath

William T. Young Humanitarian Award: Frederick Seitz

Leading KTDF earners

Sire of the year: Into Mischief

Earner of the year: Ancient Rome

Owner of the year: Godolphin

Trainer of the year: Brad Cox

Breeder of the year: Calumet Farm

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