Christmas came early for Godolphin, or at least that's what the snowfall made it feel like as the royal blue silks entered the winner's circle in both of the Nov. 30 featured 2-year-old stakes races at Churchill Downs.

First Resort was the winner of the Grade 2 $381,250 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in a prep race on the Road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve just about an hour after the same owners had won the day's 2025 Longines Kentucky Oaks prep race in the $400,000 Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes with the filly Good Cheer. First Resort and Good Cheer earned 10 qualifying points for their respective races.

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"We're blessed to have such a strong group of 2-year-olds, both fillies and colts," said Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock Michael Banahan. "We feel so excited to have them go forward."

A son of Uncle Mo, First Resort showed promise early in his career with a 3 1/2-length maiden victory at Ellis Park in July going 5 1/2 furlongs and a runner-up performance in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 10.

Originally entered for the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 14, First Resort was scratched after drawing the rail.

"I was trying to get him to learn how to relax and rate," trainer Eoin Harty said. "Coming out of the one hole, there's only one way to go. I didn't want to have him sit behind a wall of horses."

Sent to Woodbine that day instead, First Resort was entered on the turf in the one-mile Grade 1 bet365 Summer Stakes on the grass, which Banahan called an "experiment" to see if he could stretch out. He finished fourth, but connections were pleased enough to target the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club for his next race.

"He shipped a lot so we wanted to take some time off and point to this race," Banahan said. "We're super excited to have another horse we can add on to our nice group of 2-year-old colts."

First Resort relaxed and rated to perfection Saturday as jockey Luis Saez settled him just off Dapper Moon 's soft fractions of :24.56, :49.30, and 1:13.63.

"We knew we wanted a slow pace, but we controlled the race," Saez said. "At the top of the stretch, we had plenty of horse."

Taking command entering the stretch, First Resort drew off to an insurmountable lead approaching the final furlong. Odds-on favorite Jonathan's Way, who got stuck in traffic on the far turn, made a late run but First Resort hit the wire 2 1/4 lengths clear while stopping the clock in 1:43.01. He paid $14.66 to win.

The rest of the top 5 finishers earned qualifying points for the May 3 Kentucky Derby on a 5-3-2-1 scale, with those points being earned by Jonathan's Way, Tiztastic, Dapper Moon, and Render Judgment.

Good Cheer Untouchable in Golden Rod Victory

Jockey Luis Saez was also aboard Good Cheer, who improved her record to 4-for-4 with her win in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes.

Just as she did in the Oct. 27 Rags to Riches Stakes, the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro had to overcome some bumping out of the gate and slow fractions to emerge victorious.

"Any time you have a filly that doesn't have a tremendous amount of early speed, pace is concerning," said trainer Brad Cox. "I didn't feel like there was a tremendous amount of pace on early, but she overcame it and she's that good."

Good Cheer wins the Golden Rod. (Candice Chavez/Eclipse Sportswire)

Good Cheer took the lead from stablemate Eclatant at the quarter pole and never appeared in danger through the stretch despite a late attempt from Quietside to cut into the margin. Good Cheer hit the wire 2 1/2 lengths clear of Quietside. Eclatant was third. Sturgeon Moon and Flash Wear rounded out the top five for Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, which were awarded on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.

Good Cheer paid $3.32 to win and completed the 1 1/16 miles, a distance at which she is now 3-for-3 while competing at Churchill Downs, in 1:43.26.

"She loves it here (Churchill Downs), that's a positive moving forward," Cox said. "She's able to turn for home with horse, put the competition away and gallop out well. She's a very good filly."

Good Cheer and likely champion 2-year-old filly Immersive have now swept four of the seven Kentucky Oaks preps contested this year for Cox and Godolphin.

"To have two really nice fillies going forward in 2025, it is exceptionally lucky for us to be able to do that," Banahan said.