Champs Elysees prevails in Northern Dancer photo

Champs Elysees (far left) survived a late scare from Quijano (right) (Michael Burns Photo/Woodbine Entertainment Group) When Juddmonte Farms' homebred CHAMPS ELYSEES (GB) (Danehill) shifted his tack from Europe to North America last fall, the son of the blue hen mare Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi) appeared bound for Grade 1 stardom. Although it took him longer than expected, after several disappointments along the way, Champs Elysees finally broke through by the slimmest of margins in Sunday's $685,175 Northern Dancer S. (Can-G1), the Woodbine race named for his great-grandsire. His initial Grade 1 score also admitted him into the equine millionaires' club with $1,001,327 in earnings. In the opening stages, Cloudy's Knight (Lord Avie) led the way through pedestrian fractions of :25 2/5, :52, 1:17 4/5 and 1:43 1/5 on the yielding turf, with French Beret (Broad Brush) prompting the pace in second. Quijano (Ger) (Acatenango) was tucked in just behind on the rail, Seaside Retreat (King Cugat) traveled in tandem on his outside and Champs Elysees settled in midpack beneath Garrett Gomez.

Leaving the far turn, French Beret made his move as Cloudy's Knight faded,

and Seaside Retreat was also in hot pursuit. Going best of all was Spice Route

(GB) (King's Best), who loomed boldly and struck the front briefly in upper

stretch. By this point, Gomez had steered Champs Elysees out wide for the drive,

and the Bobby Frankel charge kicked into high gear as he drove past Spice Route

and a battling Seaside Retreat. Just when victory appeared to be in the bag, 2-1

favorite Quijano found his best stride, advanced threateningly up the rail and

erased Champs Elysees' margin. The two flashed past the wire together, but the

camera determined that Champs Elysees had held on by a nose in a final time of

2:32 for 1 1/2 miles.

Dispatched as the third choice at 7-2, Champs Elysees gave back $9.20, $4.60

and $3.30 while spearheading exotics worth $36.90 (exactor), $175.50 (triactor)

and $2,512.20 (4-2-10-8 superfecta). Quijano was himself a half-length ahead of

Seaside Retreat, who in turn had a neck to spare over Marsh Side (Gone West).

Spice Route, French Beret, Better Talk Now (Talkin Man) and Cloudy's Knight

rounded out the order of finish, while Frost Giant (Giant's Causeway) was eased

after tailing off. Strike a Deal (Smart Strike) was scratched.

Champs Elysees now sports an 18-4-6-4 mark. Successful in the Prix

d'Hedouville (Fr-G3) last season, the bay placed in a total of five European

stakes, chiefly the Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Ity-G1). His first four

American outings were promising, comprising a runner-up effort in the Hollywood

Turf Cup (G1), a smart victory in the San Marcos S. (G2), a troubled third in

the Santa Anita H. (G1) on Cushion Track, and a near-miss second in the Jim

Murray Memorial H. (G2). Champs Elysees was coming off a pair of disappointing

sixth-place efforts, however, in the Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1) and

United Nations S. (G1).

Bred in Great Britain, the five-year-old Champs Elysees is the final in a

series of outstanding winners sired by Danehill and produced by the French

stakes-winning Hasili. The illustrious siblings are Dansili (GB), French and

English highweight in 2000; Banks Hill (GB), American champion turf mare in 2001

and a champion in Europe in 2001 and 2002; Intercontinental (GB), American

champion turf mare in 2005; and Cacique (Ire), winner of the Man o' War S. (G1)

and Manhattan H. (G1) in 2006. Their half-sister, Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert),

was a multiple Grade 1 winner in 2003. Hasili's latest offspring are a dark bay

yearling filly by Storm Cat and a 2008 filly by Empire Maker.

In the opening stakes event on the blockbuster card, the $287,197

Canadian

S. (Can-G2), Lawrence Goichman's homebred J'RAY (Distant View) swept down

the center of the course to nab Callwood Dancer (Ire) (Danehill Dancer) by one

length. Under a well-timed ride by Joe Bravo, the Todd Pletcher mare completed 1

1/8 grassy miles in 1:51 4/5. The 6-1 third choice returned $15.10, $8.60 and

$3.80 and keyed the $211.30 exactor, $556.90 triactor and $1,875.30 superfecta

(2-7-3-5).

J'ray was content to rate at or near the back of the 11-strong pack early,

while the front-running Stroke the Tiger (Smart Strike) carved out splits of :25

1/5, :49 4/5 and 1:14. Turning into the stretch, Quiet Jungle (Forest Wildcat)

took up the baton, only to be tackled by Sealy Hill (Point Given). Neither was

able to sustain her bid, however, as Callwood Dancer seized command in

midstretch. Meanwhile J'ray began to make headway inside the final furlong. As

game as Callwood Dancer was, she could not hold off the irresistible surge of

J'ray and settled for runner-up honors.

It was another two lengths back to 4-5 favorite Forever Together (Belong to

Me), who closed mildly from last to grab third. Sealy Hill salvaged fourth,

followed by Social Queen (Dynaformer), Quiet Jungle, Stroke the Tiger, Tell It

as It Is (Chester House), Ciao (Lear Fan), The Niagara Queen (Langfuhr) and

Danzon (Royal Academy).

J'ray's biggest career victory boosted her bankroll to $856,161 from her

23-9-6-1 line. The New York-bred has seven prior stakes tallies to her credit,

including the Bayou H. (G3) and My Charmer H. (G3) in 2007 and the Matchmaker S.

(G3) at Monmouth last time out. She has placed in seven other stakes, notably

the Mrs. Revere S. (G2), the past two runnings of the Suwannee River H. (G3),

the Frances A. Genter S. (G3) and the Mairzy Doates H., where she was just

collared late by Mauralakana (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]).

J'ray is out of the winning Bubbling Heights (Fr) (Darshaan), who is a close

relative of 1993 Horse of the Year Kotashaan (Fr) (Darshaan), and she has a 2008

half-sister by Street Cry (Ire). This is also the family of 2004 Appleton H.

(G3) winner and Manhattan H. (G1) runner-up Millennium Dragon (GB) (Mark of

Esteem [Ire]).