It should shock no one that Godolphin homebred Nations Pride (Teofilo {Ire}) has a more-frequently used passport than most of his human connections. The star 4-year-old has raced (and won) in his native England, is a Grade I winner in the United States, a graded-stakes winner in the United Arab Emirates and most recently took a Grade I race in Germany July 30 before shipping north of the border to Woodbine.
Racing with the addition of Lasix for his Canadian debut, the son of Teofilo certainly wooed the betting public who dispatched him at favorable odds of 2-5 facing six rivals. Royal Champion (Shamardal) broke widest of the field but had enough early speed to clear down to the rail into the first turn and quickly opened up a multi-length gap back to Nations Pride in a stalking second. The leader cruised through a :25.42 opening quarter and no one bar the eventual winner was making up any ground as Royal Champion swung into far bend. Even by the top of the stretch, Nations Pride had plenty of work left to do and was angled out to come after the pacesetter. Gobbling up the ground late, the Godolphin runner reeled in Royal Champion and drove past in the closing yards to win in a driving finish.
“I've ridden in the Canadian International a few times before and I've been placed a few times so it's great to win it,” said winning jockey William Buick. “I knew with Nations Pride I had a pretty good horse so it's just about getting everything right. The track was a bit of a concern, the yielding surface, but he really showed how versatile he is and he's a high-class horse.”
“The concerns going out was the ground changing to yielding,” added Charlie Appleby, in the winner's circle. “To be fair, in Germany, it was probably on the slower side, but we thought the change might be positive.”
“We'll stick with plan A,” Appleby responded when asked about a potential next start. “We won't go to the Breeders' Cup. We don't think he stretches out that mile and a half, so we'll take him to [G2] Bahrain [Trophy], and then contemplate if Hong Kong might suit him. But our immediate target will be the Bahrain Trophy.”
Pedigree Note:
By European champion Teofilo and out of a mare who picked up her own stakes win in Germany, Nations Pride has a yearling full-sister and a weanling half-brother by Ghaiyyath (Ire). Important Time (Ire) is herself a daughter of G1SW Satwa Queen (Fr) who topped the 2007 edition of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale when bringing a final bid of 3,400,000gns to Godolphin (purchasers of the sales top three hips for a combined 9.8m guineas). Her daughter Amerindia (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is responsible for Australian MG1SW Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) while another daughter produced GISW Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).
Sunday, Woodbine Racetrack
CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL S.-GI, C$753,000, Woodbine, 10-8, 3yo/up, 1 1/4mT, 2:03.65, yl.
1–NATIONS PRIDE (IRE), 126, c, 4, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Important Time (Ire) (SW-Ger), by Oasis
Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Satwa Queen (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
3rd Dam: Tolga, by Irish River (Fr)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick. C$450,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-U.S., G1SW-Ger, G1SP-UAE, 14-9-2-1, $2,583,754. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Royal Champion (Ire), 126, g, 5, Shamardal–Emirates Queen (GB), by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (IRE); T-Roger Varian. C$150,000.
3–Adhamo (Ire), 126, h, 5, Intello (Ger)–Foreign Tune (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€250,000 3yo '21 ARARC). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Louis Lazzinnaro LLC and Michael J. Caruso; B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. C$75,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 7 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 5.10, 5.50.
Also Ran: Palazzi, English Conqueror, Starting Over, British Royalty, Dynadrive.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#4 NATIONS PRIDE (IRE) ($2.80) caught the front-running Adhamo (Ire) late in the stretch to win the $750,000 GI Canadian International at @WoodbineTB!
The colt by @DarleyEurope's Teofilo (Ire) was ridden by William Buick for Charlie Appleby and @godolphin. pic.twitter.com/XDZryFCgEy
— TVG (@TVG) October 8, 2023
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