Thoroughbred racehorses continue to evolve into faster and stronger animals, with breeding programs around the world all working to produce the best in the sport.
Here is a look at some of the leading racehorses from around the globe today, and what makes them so special in their respective division.
Baaeed
The champion miler in the UK is Baaeed. He is a horse who has yet to suffer defeat in his career. The four-year-old has featured seven times, and on each of those occasions, he has looked very impressive.
Given the distance he races, comparisons are naturally already being made with Frankel, a horse who many believe is the greatest of all time. Although the latest champion has a long way to go to get to that level, his connections will be very excited about the level he can reach.
Baaeed has already been successful at the highest level in France and the UK. His latest win came in the Group One Lockinge Stakes on his seasonal reappearance. If everything goes to plan for the horse in 2022 and he avoids any setbacks to his health, he could end the year at Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup Championship.
Life Is Good
US champion Life Is Good has had a reputation for being a very good horse for some time now. He justified those claims when he landed the Pegasus World Cup in Florida earlier this year in dominant style, inflicting defeat on Knicks Go, on what was the final start of his career.
Todd Pletcher’s colt did suffer defeat on his latest appearance in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan. He was stepping up to 1m2f for the first time in his career. He looked on course to land the top prize in the race, but just faded inside the final furlong. A return to his preferred distance is now likely for the rest of the campaign.
Last season’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner is set to return to the world championship meeting later this year. That could end up being the last outing of his career, so there will be a lot of interest in the American-based horse.
Nature Strip
Australia have had some very fast sprinters over the years and their latest star is former Everest winner Nature Strip. The seven-year-old gelding has been successful 14 times in his home country, including on his latest outing in the Group One Furphy T J Smith Stakes at Randwick.
Nature Strip is set for his first appearance outside of Australia this year when he lines up in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. As of the 24th of May, he is +500 in the satta for the sprint racing at the royal meeting. He is set to take on Golden Pal from the USA and the best UK sprinters in the 5f contest.
If he does travel to Ascot, it would be the biggest race of his career to date. He is chasing a ninth Group One success, and arguably it would be the most important he has ever recorded.
Speaker’s Corner
Godolphin are one of the biggest ownership operations in the world and their star colt in the USA right now is Speaker’s Corner. William Mott’s runner has won all three of his races in 2022, including his latest in the Carter Handicap, where he beat the Grade One field by just over four lengths.
The dirt horse is one of the fastest one-turn horses in the world. His next assignment may come in the Metropolitan Handicap where he could face Flightline. Victory in the race will enhance his reputation even further.
Speaker’s Corner has won six of his nine races in his career. He did not appear at the Breeders’ Cup Championship in 2021, but he looks set to feature at the meeting this year in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. A clash with Life Is Good is a possibility in that race, which would be one of the highlights of the two days at the Kentucky venue.
All four of the above runners are likely to be in contention for the Horse of the Year award in 2022. There is little to choose between them so their performances until December are going to prove crucial.
