Iquitos Strong Winner of GP von Baden

Stall Mulligan's Iquitos kicked away from last to win the Longines Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-I), Germany's top race, soundly defeating the good filly Nightflower amidst a downpour.

Iquitos advanced into contention with more than a quarter mile to run and was urged on to overtake Nightflower inside the final furlong and score by 2 3/4 lengths. Pagella, who also waited in the rear early, was up for third, five lengths back. 

Iquitos posted his first group I victory while also providing jockey Ian Ferguson and trainer Hans-Jurgen Groschel their breakthrough top-level wins.

From the second crop of former German Derby (Ger-I) winner Adlerflug (In the Wings), he won the Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft (Ger-II) in May at Baden-Baden, followed by a second to Melbourne Cup (Aus-I) winner Protectionist in the Grosser Hansa-Preis (Ger-II) at Hamburg and a fourth behind Elliptique in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis-Bayerisches (Ger-I) July 31 at Munich last time out.

Wasir set the pace at a good clip, with Dylan Mouth in pursuit and German Oaks (Ger-I) winner and favorite Serienholde third in a strung-out field. Wasir kept his advantage early in the stretch but Dylan Mouth and Serienholde were also tiring as Nightflower, toward the back of 10-horse field early, ranged up to grab control from the fading front-runner.

Iquitos came under pressure from Ferguson in the final eighth and he smartly quickened and breezed past Nightflower, who kept on the same pace but held for second.

Final time for 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) was 2:33.79 on turf rated as good.

"I always like to train horses to finish well from the rear, and Iquitos had his ideal conditions today; a really strong pace so that he could be switched off and then show his finishing speed to best advantage," Groschel told Racing Post.

Group I winner Dylan Mouth, who does his best running in Italy, faded to seventh. 

With his victory, Iquitos earned an automatic starting berth in the Longines Breeder's Cup Turf (gr. I) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita Park. 

The winner was bred in Germany by Dr. Erika Buhmann from the winning Areion mare Irika.

A berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) was also on the line the previous day in the T. von Zastrow Stutenpreis (Ger-II), won by Darius Racing's Parvaneh, an Irish-bred daughter of Holy Roman Emperor trained by Waldemar Hickst. The 3-year-old filly captured the Schwarzgold-Rennen (Ger-III) in April before finishing unplaced in the German Oaks and One Thousand Guineas (Ger-II).