Certify (horse)

Certify
Racing colours of Godolphin
Sire	Elusive Quality
Grandsire	Gone West
Dam	Please Sign In
Damsire	Doc's Leader
Sex	Filly
Foaled	12 March 2010
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Hurstland Farm Inc, William Kartozian, Darley
Owner	Godolphin
Trainer	Mahmood Al Zarooni Charlie Appleby
Record	7:5-0-0
Earnings	£242,720
Major wins
Sweet Solera Stakes (2012) May Hill Stakes (2012) Fillies' Mile (2012) The Cape Verdi (2014)
Awards
European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (2012) Top-rated European Two-Year-Old Filly (2012)

Certify (foaled 12 March 2010) is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In her first season of racing, which began in July 2012 she won all four of her races including the Group One Fillies' Mile and ended the British season as one of the year's most highly rated two-year-old fillies. She was regarded as a leading contender for the following year's classics but was suspended from racing after failing a drug test in April 2013.

Certify is a bay filly with a white blaze and two white feet. She was bred in Kentucky by a partnership between Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud and Hurstland Farm, the breeders and part-owners of her dam, Please Sign In. Certify was sired by Elusive Quality, a stallion who has had success in both North America and Europe, siring major winners including Raven's Pass, Smarty Jones, Quality Road and Elusive Kate. As a daughter of Please Sign In, Certify is a half-sister to the Oak Leaf Stakes winner Cry and Catch Me.

As a yearling, the filly was sent to the sales at Keeneland where she was sold for $80,000 to the bloodstock agent John Ferguson. The deal saw Certify become the sole property of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin organisation. She is now trained Charlie Appleby, who took over from Mahmood Al Zarooni, spending the winter in Dubai and the summer at Godolphin's Newmarket base.

Certify began her racing career in a six furlong maiden race at Newmarket Racecourse in July. She was not expected to win, and started at odds of 10/1 while the other Godolphin runner, Shuruq, was made favourite. Ridden by Mickael Barzalona, Certify took the lead inside the final furlong and drew away to win by three lengths from Pearl Sea, with Shuruq finishing third. A month later, Certify was moved up in class and distance for the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes over seven furlongs at the same course and started 11/8 favourite against seven opponents. The filly broke slowly and fought against Barzalona's attempts to restrain her in the early stages. She took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by a lengths from Sky Lantern. The form of the race was subsequently boosted when Sky Lantern won the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.