Godolphin’s latest shopping spree continued this week when Atomic Rain changed hands on Wednesday.  The Smart Strike colt was a four length winner of the Long Branch Stakes (LR) at Monmouth on July 11 which earned him a start in the Haskell Invitational (G1) at the same New Jersey venue on August 2.

Atomic Rain was runner-up to Old Fashioned in the G2 Remsen Stakes at his only start as a juvenile.  He resumed this year with a fourth behind I Want Revenge in the G1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct before finishing down the track in the Kentucky Derby.

Atomic Rain was owned by George and Lori Hall after original trainer Kelly Breen bought the colt for $170,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale from the consignment Hermitage Farm.  The latest deal came together two months after Godolphin purchased G3 winner West Side Bernie (Bernstein) from the Halls.

Atomic Rain and West Side Bernie will eventually join the Godolphin team for the 2010 Dubai Carnival at Meydan.

Sheikh Mohammed’s most recent buys include G2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Jealous Again (Trippi), G3 Horris Hill Stakes winner Evasive (Elusive Quality), Listed Balanchine Stakes winner Long Lashes (Rock Hard Ten) and English 2000 Guineas runner-up Delegator (Dansili).

GODOLPHIN’S 2008 end-of-year buys Vineyard Haven and Midshipman are ready to resume racing following enforced spells.

Vineyard Haven (Lido Palace) was a G1 winner of the Champagne Stakes and Hopeful Stakes before trainer Bobby Frankel agreed to a US$12 million offer from Godolphin.  Frankel was also a majority owner of the colt in partnership with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre.  The grey flash was a distant fourth in the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) before his Kentucky Derby campaign was derailed by injury.

Former Stonerside Stable star Midshipman (Unbridled’s Song) joined the Blue Army after winning the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last October.  But they had to pull the pin on his Run for the Roses prep after injuring his nearside foreleg at Godolphin’s Al Quoz Stables in March.