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Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) 'I was Valentino Rossi when I rode her' – Prolific Group 1 winner Goldikova dies was an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2010 European Horse of the Year. A filly, Goldikova won a total of 14 Group One races in her home country, Great Britain and the United States, with nine victories over male horses. She is the only European-trained horse to have won more than ten Group One races. Trained by Freddy Head, Goldikova is the only horse to have won three (2008, 2009, 2010) Breeders' Cup Mile races. She was ridden by Olivier Peslier in all of her races.
Goldikova was put into training with Freddy Head, former six-times Champion Jockey in France.
Goldikova's third straight victory of the year came in September at Longchamp Racecourse in the Group One Prix du Moulin in which she defeated Darjina and Natagora again as well as top Irish colt Henrythenavigator. She again defeated the males in winning the 2008 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park in California and was a finalist for the Eclipse Award's American Champion Female Turf Horse for 2008.
In her second start of 2010, on 15 June, Goldikova won the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, defeating the 2009 winner Paco Boy by a neck in 1:37.74, taking 0.5 seconds off of the stakes record. It was her ninth Group One victory and sixth against males. On 1 August, Goldikova competed a three-peat of wins in the Prix Rothschild. After she settled in third throughout the race, Oliver Peslier barely had to ask an effort of her before she raced away from the rest of the field. On 15 August in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, two weeks after the Prix Rothschild win, Goldikova suffered her first defeat of the year, second to Makfi. Her connections believed that it was largely because of the very soft ground, which she has shown her extreme dislike for in the past. However, she beat Paco Boy again for the second time.
On 3 October, Goldikova made her final start before the Breeders' Cup Mile, defeating a field of 16 males in the Prix de la Forêt at Longchamp, including Dick Turpin, Paco Boy and 1,000 Guineas winner Special Duty. By winning, she broke the record set by Miesque for the most Group/Grade One wins ever by a European mare.
She made history on 6 November 2010 when she became the first horse to win a Breeders' Cup race three times by winning the Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, defeating Champion Turf Horse Gio Ponti by 1 3/4 lengths. On 16 November Goldikova was awarded with two Cartier Racing Awards, Horse of the Year and Champion Older Horse. She became the only horse to win the Champion Older Horse award twice.
On 14 June Goldikova finished second by ¾ length to Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne Stakes. Jockey Olivier Peslier was fined for being two pounds overweight when he weighed in. Goldikova won her 14th Group One, a European record, when winning her fourth consecutive Prix Rothschild at Deauville. On 15 August, Goldikova attempted to extend her top-level wins to 15 in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, France. She did not take to the soft ground, which was the case for this year's Prix Jacques Le Marois. Goldikova ran second, beaten a length, to Group One winner Immortal Verse.
Goldikova prepped for the Breeders' Cup Mile in the Group One Prix de la Forêt on the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe undercard at Longchamp. She was beaten a head by five time Group One winner Dream Ahead. This was Goldikova's final race in France before she headed to her career finale in the US. On 4 November 2011, Goldikova finished third in the Breeders' Cup Mile, one length behind longshot Court Vision, who edged out Turallure by a nose. Goldikova was attempting to win an unprecedented fourth straight Breeders' Cup Mile. The final time was 1:37.05 over good ground.
In 2017, Goldikova was inducted into the American Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Foaling record
2013 Goldikovic (IRE), bay colt, foaled 3 February, by Galileo (IRE) – unraced to date (9/11/16)
2014 Terrakova (IRE), bay filly, foaled 4 February, by Galileo (IRE) – winner of Prix Cléopâtre (Gr. 3) and 3rd Prix de Diane (French Oaks, Gr. 1).
2016 Filly by Intello (GER)
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