by Myra Lewyn

Godolphin’s Folk Opera (Ire) dominated eight opponents in her North American debut on Saturday at Woodbine with a front-running 1¾-length win in the $936,352 E. P. Taylor Stakes (Can-G1).

The four-year-old Singspiel (Ire) filly led at every point of call under regular rider Frankie Dettori and covered 1¼ miles in 2:03.70 on firm turf. The win earned her a starting spot in the $2-million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.

Folk Opera, winner of Darley Prix Jean Romanet (Fr-G2) in August, was back to her best form after finishing eighth behind brilliant filly Zarkava in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1) on September 14 at Longchamp. 

She broke sharply and eagerly sprinted to the lead under Dettori. Green Lyons (Ire), the third-place finisher in the Beverly Hills Handicap (G2) in June, stalked from second under Jimmy Fortune while recent Nassau Stakes (Can-G2) winner Callwood Dancer (Ire) and reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill tracked from fourth and fifth, respectively, through a leisurely opening quarter in :26.41 and a half-mile in :51.55.

Green Lyons drew up to the throat latch of Folk Opera on the far turn and into the stretch. She briefly threatened while seeking her first graded stakes win, but could not keep pace and flattened out to finish eighth.

Callwood Dancer, who stalked from three wide on the far turn, advanced to pursue Folk Opera entering the lane before launching determined bid. She could not match the energy of the winner, who scored her first win at the highest level as the 1.55-to-favorite.

Callwood Dancer finished a head in front of third-place finisher Sealy Hill, who closed strongly from fourth after encountering traffic problems in upper stretch.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Folk Opera has won half of her eight starts this season and improved her overall record to five wins in 11 starts. The $554,820 winner’s share of the purse boosted her lifetime bankroll to $819,889.

Bred by Abbeville and Meadow Court Partners, Folk Opera was purchased for $184,349 at the 2005 Tattersalls October yearling sale on behalf of Godolphin by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s bloodstock adviser, John Ferguson. She is out of the placed Halling mare Skiphall (GB).

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Myra Lewyn is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor