Olympic Runner Sets Course Record in King Edward
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Photo: Michael Burns
Olympic Runner wins the King Edward Stakes at Woodbine
Multiple graded stakes-placed Olympic Runner finally earned gold on the Woodbine green, and in course record time, too.
After a series of hard-luck finishes, the 5-year-old Gio Ponti gelding notched his first graded victory in the CA$183,750 (US$146,820) King Edward Stakes (G2T) Aug. 15.
Trained by Mark Casse and owned by Gary Barber, the dark bay arrived at the one-mile event for 3-year-olds and older off a neck loss in the Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) July 18 at Woodbine, his fourth runner-up finish in a graded stakes.
On Sunday, Rafael Hernandez quickly guided Olympic Runner to the rail and into a comfortable spot behind the early leaders, including pacesetter Town Cruise , who led Gray's Fable by 1 1/2 lengths through an opening quarter-mile in :23.33.
Town Cruise was still on top through a half-mile in :45.75, with Olympic Runner still nestled along the inside in fifth. Late-running March to the Arch , last year's King Edward winner and also a Casse trainee, remained in eighth.
Around the turn for home Town Cruise began to increase his advantage, while Hernandez called upon Olympic Runner, who now had a clear path, for his best run.
At the wire, Olympic Runner was a 1 1/4-length winner, while Town Cruise fought on gamely to secure second, a head in front of the charging 7-5 favorite March to the Arch. The final time over firm going on the E. P. Taylor turf was a record 1:31.73. Sent off at 7-1, Olympic Runner paid $16.80 for a $2 win bet.
"It was a good trip," Hernandez said. "The main thing was to get a clear trip. He showed up today. Last time, it was a hard trip. There was nowhere to go. In the final sixteenth, we found room to go, and it was too late. We got a long stretch and it helped a lot (today)."
Olympic Runner, whose only other stakes score came in the 2019 running of the King Corrie Stakes on Woodbine's Tapeta, improved his record to 5-7-2 in his 23rd start. He has earned $419,450.
"You don't overthink it," said Hernandez. "You ride the wave—break out of there, try and get the best position for the horse, and then give the best trip you can. He's got a big heart. He turned for home and he kept trying and trying. He never gave up."
Eutrophia Farm bred Olympic Runner in Kentucky out of the Carson City mare Nadadora, also the dam of the multiple graded stakes-placed Sammy Mandeville . Nadadora's latest foal is a yearling Not This Time filly, who was purchased by Deuce Greathouse, agent, for $175,000 out of Eaton Sales' consignment to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in New York. The mare was bred to Tom's d'Etat for 2022.
Olympic Runner was a $27,000 weanling purchase by Equest Thoroughbreds from Taylor Made Sales Agency at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. He then brought $180,000 from bloodstock agent Justin Casse at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale when consigned by Equest.