U.S.-trained Argos denied Europeans their fourth Summer Stakes (G1T) in the last five years, prevailing over Godolphin's Wild Desert in a thrilling photo finish Sept. 13 at Woodbine.
Argos also gave trainer Riley Mott, son of Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott, the second grade 1 win of his career. Mott had landed his first grade 1 victory earlier this summer with World Beater in the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T).
A $165,000 buyback for owner David Romanik at this spring's Ocala Breeders' Sale March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, Argos rallied to a half-length score sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in his debut at Ellis Park before finishing a closing third to Two Out Hero and Casson in Woodbine's 6 1/2 furlong Soaring Free Stakes.
The stretch-out to a mile for the 'Win and You're In' CA$502,000 Summer Stakes proved just the key for Argos, a son of Nyquist out of the Irish-bred Acclamation mare Athenian. Ridden for the second time by Flavien Prat, Argos benefited from a ground-saving rail trip while tracking frontrunning Marcus J behind fractions of :23.26, :48.14, and 1:12.38. Angled out seven-wide turning for home, Argos set his aim on old rivals Cassan and Two Out Hero, who battled for the advantage.
Argos, full of momentum down the center of the course, collared short-lived leader Two Out Hero and just held off a furious late charge from Wild Desert.
A head in front of the European invader, Argos ($15.70) stopped the timer in 1:36.90 over a firm inner turf course.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Wild Desert, who trailed the field most of the journey, finished a length in front of Two Out Hero.
With his win in the Summer Stakes, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, Argos earned a fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) Oct. 31 at Del Mar. It would mark the first time in 36 years that Romanik would have a horse compete in the Breeders' Cup.
"My second horse (Caltech) raced in the Breeders Cup in 1989 (finished fifth in the 1989 Breeders' Cup Turf)—it's been a long time since then, and now, my second one," Romanik said. "This horse breezed at OBS in :30 4/5 and the only other horse I've ever owned who did that ran in the Breeders' Cup in 1989, so I thought I had something special. We ended up buying him back at the sale because he didn't reach the price we wanted. But we thought he was this caliber."
Video: bet365 Summer S. (G1T)
Corsia Veloce Stays Perfect With 'Win and You're In' Natalma Score
Later on the card, Corsia Veloce remained undefeated with a gritty score in the CA$500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1T).
The 2-year-old Practical Joke filly, a homebred for Hill 'N' Dale Farms' Glenn Sikura and Mario Serrani, improved her record to a perfect 3-for-3 with her victory in the 'Win and You're In' Natalma Stakes. A winner at Woodbine on the turf and synthetic main track sprinting, Saturday's race was her first attempt around two turns.
Fraser Aebly, one of the rising stars of Woobine's jockey colony, captured his first grade 1 win with Corsia Veloce, a filly he's ridden in all three of her lifetime starts. The young jockey delivered a textbook ride aboard the Josie Carroll trainee in the Natalma, settling Corsia Veloce off a moderate early tempo before driving the filly through daylight when the pacesetters parted at the top of the lane.
Corsia Veloce split horses gamely and outdueled the stubborn frontrunners, La Culasse and Hot Mash, to the wire to win by a half-length. Securing her starting slot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) starting gate this fall, Corsia Veloce ($26.50) completed the mile in 1:37.42.
"It is so special, and I've trained others in the family, which makes it feel even nicer for all of us," Carroll said. "It's very exciting. A filly like this, you don't often go three-for-three with a baby like this, and the way she did it so gamely, it just gives you shivers."
Hot Mash, an impressive debut winner on Ellis Park in her last start, finished a neck ahead of 57-1 shot La Culasse. European shipper and race favorite Dance to the Music was fourth.
The Ontario-bred Corsia Veloce was the first stakes winner produced by her dam, the City Zip mare Beth's Bling.
Video: Johnnie Walker Natalma S. (G1T)
