Argos, Corsia Veloce earn BC berths in Woodbine juvenile turf stakes

Although Appleby's shipper Notable Speech justified favoritism in the Woodbine Mile (G1), his juvenile stablemates, Wild Desert and Dance to the Music, were both foiled in their respective Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on the undercard.

Wild Desert came up a head shy of Argos in the $362,567 Summer (G1), a “Win and You’re In” for the Juvenile Turf (G1). In the $413,486 Natalma (G1), Dance to the Music got no nearer than fourth behind Corsia Veloce, who stamped her ticket to the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

The results may have been influenced by the transfer of the one-mile stakes to Woodbine’s inner turf, due to the renovation of the E.P. Taylor course. Instead of their usual configuration around one sweeping turn, they became two-turn tests that were tougher for the international juveniles to solve. 

Four-year-old Notable Speech put his experience to good use, but his younger colleagues were not quite streetwise enough. Yet this two-turn styling is what the Breeders’ Cup contenders will face in the mile races at Del Mar, making for better practice. 

Summer (G1)

Trainer Riley Mott recently celebrated his first graded stakes wins with World Beater, hero of the Saratoga Derby (G1) and Old Dominion Derby (G3). Now the young horseman has another Grade 1 victor in rapid succession in Argos.

Although Argos was third in the 6 1/2-furlong Soaring Free S. last out, jockey Flavien Prat believed that the race didn’t play to his strengths. The son of 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) champion Nyquist moved forward when stretching out in the Summer.

“I honestly, really loved the way he ran last time,” Prat said. “I thought, you know, the last quarter was quite fast, and I don’t think it was the right setup for him. And obviously, today, we went on the inner (turf), and we had a better draw and a bit more experience and seasoning. And it was a good run.”

Sent off at odds of 6.85-1, Argos broke well on the rail, and despite being in tight quarters briefly, avoided the scrimmaging that affected others into the clubhouse turn. As Argos secured a good midpack position, the 1.65-1 favorite Wild Desert spun out wide entering the first turn and raced at or near the rear much of the way.

Meanwhile, pacesetter Marcus J carved out splits of :23.26, :48.14, and 1:12.38 on the firm inner turf. Then the tracking Casson overtook him and tried to break away, only to be apprehended by Two Out Hero.

By that point, Prat had angled Argos off the fence and into the clear, and he quickened best to take command. Wild Desert flew late to draw alongside, but Argos found enough to stave him off in 1:36.90 and paid $15.70. 

Two Out Hero, the Soaring Free winner, crossed the wire another length back in third. The stewards posted an inquiry sign to look into an incident involving him in that first turn, but the result was allowed to stand. The head-on replay shows that Two Out Hero did come in a bit, but he soon had his hind end knocked sideways, so if anything, he took the worst of it.

Teddy’s Rocket reported home fourth, followed by troubled Irish raider Thesecretadversary; Casson; Bill of Ice, who clipped heels shortly after the start; Rude Procedure; Timeframe; and Marcus J. Military Time and Jupiter were scratched.

Campaigned by David S. Romanik, Argos advanced his scorecard to 3-2-0-1, $287,018. The bay won his July 13 debut in a 5 1/2-furlong turf maiden at Ellis Park. 

Argos was bred by Green Lantern Stables in the Bluegrass and brought just $10,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling. Romanik offered him at OBS March, where his $165,000 sales price actually reflected a buyback. 

The well-named Argos is out of Athenian, a German stakes-winning daughter of Acclamation and multiple Group 3 victress Ziria. Athenian is herself a half-sister to three stakes scorers, chief among them the Group 2-placed producer Fadhayyil. 

Natalma (G1)

In her previous start, Glenn Sikura and Mario Serrani’s Corsia Veloce sprang an 11.45-1 upset in the 6 1/2-furlong Catch a Glimpse S. Bettors didn’t give her any more of a look as a 12.25-1 shot in the Natalma, but the Ontario homebred again proved the market wrong to remain undefeated.

Trained by Josie Carroll and ridden by Fraser Aebly, Corsia Veloce was nestled several lengths off the pace from her rail post. But Aebly maneuvered her between foes on the backstretch to garner a better position before diving back inside. That may have been the decisive move, since she was the only one to catch the early leaders.

Hot Mash showed the way through an opening quarter in :23.81, then let the 57-1 La Culasse take over through the half in :48.47. When Hot Mash tried to re-engage passing six furlongs in 1:13.07, La Culasse knuckled down to resist.

Turning for home, a yawning gap opened up between the top two, and Corsia Veloce was on the premises to take full advantage. The Practical Joke filly drove through to a half-length decision in 1:37.42.

Hot Mash ultimately wore La Culasse down by a neck for runner-up honors. Another half-length back came the closing 1.25-1 favorite Dance to the Music, who broke slowly and had too much to overcome from last. 

Deep Learning, the 1.40-1 second choice, likewise found herself in a tactically difficult position and wound up a wide-trip fifth. Dixie Law, Star Attraction, Sweet Fusion, and Pina Colada concluded the order of finish. Dyna was withdrawn.

Now 3-for-3, Corsia Veloce rewarded her loyalists with $26.50 while bankrolling $378,117. The bay opened her account in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden on the Woodbine Tapeta. 

Corsia Veloce has RNA’d twice, as a $20,000 Keeneland September yearling and again for $190,000 on Fasig-Tipton’s digital platform in July. Her owner/breeders have reaped the rewards of keeping her. 

Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms paid tribute to his team. 

“The people at the farm who are forgotten all the time, they do such hard work and such great things, and they love these animals, and this is the greatest sport in the world,” Sikura said. “When you can get a win like this, I tell you, it’s made my year.”

Corsia Veloce, literally “fast lane,” is out of the City Zip mare Beth’s Bling. Stakes-placed in Ohio-bred company, Beth’s Bling hails from the family of Grade 2-winning sires Too Much Bling and El Kabeir. 

“It is so special,” Carroll said. “I’ve trained others in the family, which makes it feel even nicer for all of us. It’s very exciting. A filly like this, you don’t often go 3-for-3 with a baby like this, and the way she did it so gamely, it just gives you shivers.”

“She’s a very easy filly to ride,” Aebly said. “She does everything right, and she makes you look good.

“This one’s very special me, because of the connections,” the rider added of his first Grade 1 win. “You know, the owners are very special, and so is the trainer. We have a very good connection going on here.”