Cleo Fan in Charge Early for Italian GI Win
Description:
Cleo Fan was in control after the opening furlong and held on to win the Premio Presidente della Repubblica (Ity-I) by a neck from familiar rival Magic Artist May 10 at Capannelle in Rome.
The 4-year-old son of Mujahid turned the tables on Magic Artist, who defeated him by just a nose in the Premio Ambrosiano (Ity-III) April 19 at San Siro last time out. He had a two-length lead at the halfway mark in the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) Presidente della Repubblica and kicked away again with a quarter mile to run, before Magic Artist closed ground to challenge with less than an eighth of mile to go, but ultimately just missed.
Wake Forest was one-paced in a third-place finish, after settling in midfield early and then advancing into contention for the stretch run, but was no threat to the top two finishers.
Multiple group I victor and favorite Priore Philip, keen to race and stoutly restrained in behind the winner early, had nothing for the stretch run and faded to sixth in the eight-horse field.
In finishing the trip in 1:59.50 on good turf with Umberto Rispoli, Cleo Fan earned his first top-level win and fourth victory overall from 10 career starts for Stefano Botti, who trains for Dioscuri Srl. His record includes a victory in minor stakes at Capannelle before a runner-up finish Priore Philip there in the 2014 Premio Roma GBI (Ity-I).
Cleo Fan, who was bred in Italy by Fanti Giuliano, is out of the winning Best of the Bests mare Cuprea. Second dam Verbena is a half sister to the dam of U.S. multiple graded stakes winner Vagabond Shoes.