Forte Dei Marmi digs deep in Northern Dancer Turf

"He's at the best he's ever been," Attfield said. "He's done it now three

times in a row in three different situations. He's a tough little horse and the

way he is right now, he's tough to beat. We gave him a good run down the lane

with my other horse (Perfect Timber)."

Perfect Timber crossed the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Stormy

Len, who salvaged third in a photo with dual Sovereign Award-winning filly Irish

Mission. Next came Hampstead Heath, Hotep and Turkish.

Aside from registering his new career high, Forte Dei Marmi also became a

millionaire on Sunday, boosting his bankroll to $1,026,437 from his 32-10-1-5

line. The gelded son of Selkirk had finished third versus deeper fields in last

year's Northern Dancer Turf and Canadian International, and is likely bound for

another crack at that lucrative prize over the same course and distance October

27.

Originally based in England with Luca Cumani, Forte Dei Marmi was a

handicapper for much of his early career. He was upped in grade in 2011, with

his best result a third to Await the Dawn in the Huxley at Chester. Forte Dei

Marmi joined Attfield for a tilt at that year's Woodbine Mile, winding up 10th

in his only unplaced effort over the E.P. Taylor turf.

A barnstorming third in the 2012 Dixie, Forte Dei Marmi broke through with

his first stakes score in last summer's Sky Classic. But after his thirds in the 

Northern Dancer Turf and Canadian International, he lost form and trailed home

in the November 24 W.L. McKnight at Calder. Forte Dei Marmi took time to come to

hand this spring. He was last of seven in his reappearance in an April 6

Keeneland allowance, pulled up early in the April 26 Elkhorn and vanned off the

course, and only ninth in his return trip to Pimlico for the May 18 Dixie.

Forte Dei Marmi turned the corner back at Woodbine. He trounced Perfect

Timber by 6 1/4 lengths in the July 7 Singspiel, successfully defended his title

in the 1 1/4-mile Sky Classic in a course-record time of 2:00 on August 18, and

completed the hat trick here.

Bred by Fittocks Stud in Great Britain, Forte Dei Marmi failed to reach his

reserve when bringing $81,196 as a Tattersalls October yearling. His dam, the

winning Sadler's Wells mare Frangy, is responsible for two other stakes scorers

-- Savarain and Wallis.

Forte Dei Marmi descends from multiple Group 2 star Free Guest, making him a

relative of Group 1 heroine Shamshir, Irish and Italian highweight staying mare

Royal Ballerina and multiple stakes winners Nashmiah and Al Mohaajir.

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