Golden Muse

The horse broke through first at Wolverhampton in March, then picked up two more victories since then, most recently at Kempton Park in June. That win came three months ago, which means Golden Muse has been quiet of late—but raced as recently as yesterday, so the yard is keeping it active and sharp. That's the Marco Botti method: Botti trains out of Newmarket and has already sent out 45 winners this season, so this is a man who knows how to keep a horse in the right condition. The fact that Golden Muse returned to racing just yesterday, after that Kempton win three months back, suggests the team has had a plan: rest, recover, then get back to work.

What's striking is that this is a young horse doing what young horses often can't—winning at a rate better than 50 percent. That's not common. Most young horses take time to mature and find their level. Golden Muse has found something already: it wins nearly as often as it races. Whether it stays at this level or climbs higher, only time will tell, but right now it's one of the more exciting prospects in its generation.