"He's quite capable of winning the Kentucky Derby," opined Marty Wolfson who trained Express Tour for Silva, "And I'm delighted to learn he is going to Godolphin. He couldn't be in better hands."In recent years, Godolphin has purchased U.S. stakes-placed 2-year-olds including Chief Seattle, Comeonmom, and Worldly Manner and pointed them towards the Kentucky Derby. Express Tour, unraced since the Oct. 7 In Reality division of the stallion stakes, will follow in their footsteps, having been flown to Dubai to resume his training."We will win the Kentucky Derby one of these years," stated Saeed bin Suroor, private trainer for Godolphin.
Godolphin Racing, continuing its recent trend of buying promising juveniles in an effort to capture a Triple Crown race, has purchased Express Tour for a sum believed to be close to $1 million.The son of Tour d'Or, who became only the fourth colt to sweep Calder's three-race Florida Stallion Stakes series this summer and fall, had earned over $400,000 racing as a homebred for Clare "Butch" Silva in winning three of his four starts. Despite his success, Silva remained eager to sell the colt, noting "We'd rather watch them win races for somebody else." Fresh from the owner's Hickory Meadow Farm near Ocala, Express Tour was entered in April's Timonium sale, but Silva took him home when he failed to meet his $37,000 reserve.