Filo Di Arianna Prevails in Tight King Edward Finish
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Photo: Michael Burns
Filo Di Arianna noses out War Bomber to win the King Edward Stakes at Woodbine
The speedy Filo Di Arianna took the race to his rivals right from the jump, blazing through quick early fractions and outlasting a closing War Bomber for a nose victory in the CA$207,600 King Edward Stakes (G2T) Aug. 23 at Woodbine.
Favored at 3-5 coming off a career-best triumph in the six-furlong Highlander Stakes (G2T), Filo Di Arianna annexed his second win in the local prep for the Woodbine Mile (G1T), having captured the 2022 rendition as a 6-year-old.
Two years later, Filo Di Arianna ran the one-mile distance even faster, stopping the clock in a sharp 1:34.07 over a firm turf course.
Breaking from the far outside post, jockey Sahin Civaci, who was replacing Kazushi Kimura in the saddle, lost his iron out of the gate. Fortunately, Civaci recovered quickly enough to go on with an impatient Filo Di Arianna as the pair plowed to the front. The Drosselmeyer gelding hurtled through opening fractions of :23.75 and :46.09 before swinging for home, laying down six furlongs in 1:09.27 at the top of the lane.
War Bomber rallied valiantly and tried Filo Di Arianna for all he had, falling just short in a dramatic drive to the wire.
Longshot Secret Reserve rallied for third.
Filo Di Arianna ($3.30), owned in partnership by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch, posted his sixth group/graded stakes win from 17 trips to the post. A group 2 winner in his native Brazil, the gelding joined trainer Mark Casse's stable in 2021. He has bankrolled $615,828.
Video: bet365 King Edward S. (G2T)
Patches O'Houlihan Victorious in Bold Venture Defense
It was a day of repeat winners at Woodbine. A race following the King Edward, Patches O'Houlihan registered his second straight win in the CA$174,600 Bold Venture Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and up sprinting on the main track.
The Ontario-bred Patches O'Houlihan scampered to take command and carved out early splits of :22.38 and :44.55 before facing a challenge from First Empire around the final turn. Shaking loose of that foe down the stretch, the son of Reload staved off the late closers in a final time of 1:14.90 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.
Jockey Sofia Vives and Patches O'Houlihan capture the Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine
Ridden by Sofia Vives, Patches O'Houlihan ($4.60) was a neck clear of Playmea Tune and I'm A Gambler at the wire.
The 4-year-old is a homebred for Frank Di Giulio Jr. and is trained by Robert Tiller. The winner of eight of 10 starts, he scored in three consecutive stakes races last year during a six-race win streak.