Capitalist ran down the front-runner to lead 200 meters out and held on to win the Aus$3.5 million ($2.3 million) Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (Aus-I), the world's richest 2-year-old race, March 19 at Rosehill Gardens.
Bouncing back from an upset last time out, the son of
Written Tycoon was speared between rivals in the stretch and displayed an electric rally to snatch command from leader
Sweet Sherry and win by a half-length. Longshot
Yankee Rose closed hard to his outside to just miss, while second favorite
Flying Artie, a son of Central Kentucky-based
Artie Schiller , got up for third. Favorite
Extreme Choice, last in the early running, finished eighth in the field of 16.
Ridden by Blake Shinn for trainers Peter and Paul Snowden, Capitalist finished 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) in 1:10.50 on turf rated as good, stamping himself as one of Australia's most valuable stallion prospects. The chestnut colt has now won nation's two richest races for juveniles after taking the Aus$1.89 million Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic Jan. 9 at the Gold Coast to stay unbeaten in three starts. Subsequently derailed next time out when he finished second in the Todman Stakes (Aus-II) March 5 at Randwick, he would not be denied again Saturday.
"He's shown right from his very first start that he is special," Peter Snowden said of Capitalist, who has a 4-1-0 record from five starts. "Today typifies the opinion we've had of the horse—we'd never lost faith in him."
Snowden also won the race in 2011 with Sepoy.
Although Capitalist was defeated in his prep for the Slipper, Shinn was confident of a big win.
"We got a great run in transit," Shinn said. "He settled so well and he sprinted so hard when I took a needle-eye opening, and he really hit the line hard."
Sydney-based bloodstock agent James Harron purchased Capitalist for Aus$165,000 ($133,287) at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale. He also formed a stallion syndicate and Capitalist is a member of his first package.
"I represent a fantastic group of owners who got behind me from day one," Harron said after the race.
"It's the race that really shapes the breeding industry in Australia," he said of the Golden Slipper.
Breeder Jan Clark of Daandine Pastoral Co. said that Capitalist's win was a fairytale as she wiped away tears.
"To see a Queensland-bred horse win the Golden Slipper—it's a breeder's dream," she said.
Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock purchased Capitalist's dam Kitalpha (
Fusaichi Pegasus ) for Clark for Aus$82,500 ($80,512) at the 2012 Magic Millions national broodmare sale, where Widden Stud consigned. Kitalpha's dam, group III winner Compulsion (Danehill), is a full sister to champion and 1996 Golden Slipper winner Merlene.
Daandine Stud also bred and sold Capitalist's sire, Written Tycoon (by Last Tycoon's son Iglesia), a group II winner who stands at Woodside Park Stud in Victoria. Capitalist is his first group I winner.
Saturday's card also included wins by
Winx (
Street Cry) in the George Ryder (Aus-I); The United States (
Galileo) in the Ranvet (Aus-I);
Griante (
Good Journey) in The Galaxy (Aus-I); and
Tarzino (
Tavistock) in the Rosehill Guineas (Aus-I).