Eddie Read

Ballygallon Stud's ARAGORN (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) looked impressive in

winning the May 29 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile S. (G1), but the Neil Drysdale

charge was just warming up for an even more electrifying, course record-setting

effort in Sunday's $400,000

Eddie

Read H. (G1) at Del Mar.

Positioned in third by jockey Corey Nakatani in the early going, Aragorn was

content to watch as defending Eddie Read titleholder Sweet Return (GB) (Elmaamul)

set a rapid tempo of :23, :45 3/5 and 1:09 2/5 while intently tracked by Silent

Name (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). Nakatani gave his mount the cue nearing the far

turn, and with lengthy, fluid strides, Aragorn swept up to join the dueling

pair. By the top of the stretch, he had stamped his authority on the race,

drawing off by a length while getting the mile in 1:33 2/5. Although there was

no competition in sight, except the clock, the four-year-old chestnut continued

to pour it on, maintaining his blistering gallop all the way to the line. While

finishing four lengths ahead of the outclassed field, Aragorn smashed the

nine-furlong record on the firm Jimmy Durante Turf Course with a final time of 1:44

3/5. The previous mark had been 1:45 4/5.

"Wow," Nakatani marveled. "Isn't he impressive? The time is impressive, but

the way he did it and the kind of horses -- he's beating good horses in there

today -- is what gets me. I had a dream trip in so many ways. They were going

fast up front, and my horse was just sitting there, waiting. It worked out

great."

"It was an awesome performance," the usually understated Drysdale commented.

The next four horses finished nearly abreast of each other. Sweet Return held

off Silent Name, whose rider had dropped the whip early on, by a half-length for

runner-up honors. Although Fourty Niners Son (Distorted Humor) crossed the wire

another nose back in fourth, he was disqualified and placed fifth for brushing

Quasimodo (A.P. Indy) in midstretch. Quasimodo was thereby promoted to fourth.

Hendrix (Sultry Song) came next, trailed by Fast and Furious (Fr) (Singspiel

[Ire]).

Leaving the gate as the 3-2 favorite, the winner returned $5, $3.20 and

$2.60. Sweet Return, the fourth choice at 5-1, gave back $5.60 and $3.40, ending

the $12 exacta ($1). The 9-2 Silent Name paid $3.40 to show as the third choice

in the wagering, resulting in a $41.70 trifecta (3-2-4) ($1).

Aragorn has advanced his record to 11-4-4-1 with a bankroll worth $705,325.

He had earned his first stakes score in the Oak Tree Derby (G2) last October.

After kicking off his 2006 campaign with a pair of seconds, a narrow loss in the

Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) and a runner-up effort in the San Francisco

Breeders' Cup Mile S. (G2), he turned the corner with his stylish Shoemaker win.

The Irish-bred winner is out of Onaga (Mr. Prospector), who has an unraced

juvenile filly named Kaseema (Storm Cat), a yearling colt named Omnicat (Storm

Cat) and a 2006 filly by Giant's Causeway, a full sister to Aragorn. Onaga is a

full sister to Grade 2 winner and French classic-placed Sha Tha, who is herself

the dam of French Group 2 winner and highweight State Shinto (Pleasant

Colony). Another full sister, Tacha, is the dam of 2003 European champion

two-year-old colt One Cool Cat (Storm Cat). Onaga's dam, Savannah Dancer

(Northern Dancer), winner of the 1985 Del Mar Oaks (G2) along with three other

stakes, is a daughter of 1966 Irish champion three-year-old filly and dual

classic heroine *Valoris II (*Tiziano II).

In terms of future targets, Drysdale mentioned the option of stepping up in

trip or reverting to a mile.

"We'll discuss the Arlington Million ([G1] on August 12 at 1 1/4 miles) or to

stay here for the mile (Del Mar Breeders' Cup Mile [G2] on August 26)."