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Wild Beauty Overcomes Slow Start To Take Natalma, Earn BC Juvenile Fillies Turf Berth

With the legendary Lanfranco Dettori in the saddle, Wild Beauty made her first North American start a winning one, overcoming a slow start and going five-wide down the Woodbine stretch to win the Grade 1 Natalma at the Toronto, Ontario track and earn a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf at Del Mar.

The Godolphin filly went into the gate as the post-time favorite, breaking from the middle of the field of 10. She appeared to hit the gate and then was buffeted by horses, running last into the first turn. From there, Dettori kept her on the outside toward the back of the field while Cardio Princess and Guileful led the field. Down the backstretch, Wild Beauty steadily passed horses up to seventh as they entered the far turn.

On the turn, Dettori kept Wild Beauty to the outside, taking her five-wide to find running room as they entered the stretch. With daylight in front of her, the 2-year-old filly had no trouble taking over the lead and pulling away to a 2 3/4-length victory. Bobby Flay's Pizza Bianca was second and Eminent Victor was third.

Mrs. Barbara, Diabolic, Guileful, Ready Lady, Baksheesh, Royal Engagement, and Cardio Princess rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the one-mile Natalma was 1:35.08. Find this race's chart here.

Wild Beauty paid $4.90, $3.10, and $2.40. Pizza Bianca paid $4.30 and $3.50. Eminent Victor paid $4.20.

The G1 Natalma is a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. As a Win and You're In race, the winner earns a fees-paid guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Bred and owned by Godolphin, Wild Beauty (GB) is by Frankel (GB) out of the Pivotal mare Tulips (IRE). Trained by Chalie Appleby, the filly's win in the Natalma brings her to three wins in six starts for career earnings of $230,477.

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Gufo Breezes In Preparation For Joe Hirsch Turf Classic At Belmont

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo breezed an easy half-mile in :52 flat over the Belmont Park inner turf Sunday in preparation for the $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 9 at the Elmont, N.Y., track.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the son of Declaration of War was a last-out winner of the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational on August 28 at Saratoga, where he fended off a stretch rally from the Aidan O'Brien-trained multiple Group 1-winner Japan.

“It was an easy work on his own on the turf,” Clement said. “We'll work him back on the turf next week to be a little more aggressive. He looked good.”

Never off the board in a dozen starts, Gufo commenced his 4-year-old campaign with a second-place finish beaten a nose in the Grade 1 Man o' War before rallying from 17 lengths off the pace to finish third beaten four lengths to Domestic Spending in the Grade 1 Manhattan.

Gufo, who captured the Grade 1 Belmont Derby and Grade 1 Hollywood Derby last year, regained his winning form when stretching out to 1 ½ miles under regular rider Joel Rosario for the Grand Couturier on July 5 at Belmont where he added blinkers for the first time.

Clement said Gufo has shown improvement when adding blinkers.

“He was a bit more aggressive than usual last time, but it all worked out,” Clement said. “I think it's always a question of pace. Wherever Joel is comfortable, I'm happy usually. Blinkers on gives him a little more cruising speed. Joel never had to hit him, and the horse was a bit more consistent in the stretch. He wasn't erratic like sometimes he can be. He looked better.”

Gufo will attempt to become the fourth horse in the past decade to sweep the Sword Dancer-Joe Hirsch double, joining Channel Maker [2020], Main Sequence [2014], and Point of Entry [2012].

On Saturday, Clement saddled Soldier Rising to a runner-up finish to Yibir in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational. The son of Frankel raced along the hedge in fourth down the backstretch with a ground-saving trip and launched his bid once finding racing room in upper stretch, finishing 2 ½ lengths behind Yibir.

He was second in his previous outing in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7 at the Spa, where he was a rallying second to Irish invader State of Rest.

“He ran really well. He looked good and came back from his race in good shape,” Clement said. “He's a very nice horse. We just have to keep him sound. We'll run him maybe once or twice more, but I'm not sure where yet. Then we should have a very nice horse for next year.”

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Clement shipped two-time allowance winner La Dragontea to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, for a victory in the Grade 2 Canadian on Saturday. The Lope de Vega dark bay or brown filly displayed stalking tactics while under a strong hold by Rosario down the backstretch. Rosario did not coax his filly until mid-stretch, where she extended her advantage to a one-length score.

La Dragontea, owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen, captured her North American debut with a wire-to-wire score in a Belmont allowance at 1 ¼ miles before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Robert Dick Memorial at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. Prior to the Canadian, she defeated optional claiming company over a yielding Mellon turf at Saratoga.

“She's a nice filly,” Clement said. “She was a bit unlucky when I ran her in the stakes at Delaware as the turf was very soft that day. She won yesterday nicely. It gives you an idea of the level of racing at Belmont when you think she was in her conditions. She is an improving kind of a filly.”

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Town Cruise Upsets Woodbine Mile, Earns Spot In BC Mile

Town Cruise made it look easy in his upset win in the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile, taking the field gate to wire to earn a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile. Over the familiar turf of Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, the 6-year-old gelding followed up his runner-up showing in the G2 King Edward Stakes with a victory for co-breeder/trainer/owner Brandon Greer.

Breaking from the first post, jockey Daisuke Fukumoto hustled Town Cruise out to the lead in the race's opening strides, with Duke of Hazzard and Change of Control settling in second and third. Through opening fractions of :24.01 and :47.10, Town Cruise stretched his lead out to two lengths, running easily on the lead. Into the stretch, the field bunched up behind Town Cruise; Avie's Flatter tried to challenge in the stretch, but the Ontario bred was too much for him. After leading at every call, Town Cruise hit the wire 2 1/4 lengths in front, with Space Traveller and Raging Bull coming on late to finish second and third.

The final time for the G1 Woodbine Mile was 1:35.41. Find this race's chart here.

Town Cruise paid $19.30, $10.10, and $6.10. Space Traveller paid $10.20 and $6.30. Raging Bull paid $3.70.

As a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, the winner of the Woodbine Mile receives a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Co-bred by trainer Greer and his father Terrance, Town Cruise is by Town Prize out of the Candy Ride mare Candy Cruise. The Woodbine Mile is Town Cruise's third win in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 14 starts and career earnings of $700,106.

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Walton Street Draws Away To Dominant Victory In Canadian International At Woodbine

Walton Street made his first start in North America a winning one under famed jockey Lanfranco Dettori, winning the Grade 1 Canadian International by 5 3/4 lengths at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The 7-year-old gelding went into the gate as the favorite, bided his time for ten furlongs, and pulled away in the stretch to earn his first G1 victory in dominant fashion.

Breaking from the second post, Dettori settled Walton Street behind longshot Primo Touch, who got out to a multi-length lead within the first half-mile. Logging fractions of :25, :49.49, and 1:14.37, Primo Touch slowed the pace down, leaving the door open for the field's closers. With a quarter of a mile to go, Walton Street easily took over the lead, entering the stretch on the leading and pulling away to a five-length advantage in the race's final furlong.

At the wire, it was all Dettori and Walton Street, with Desert Encounter second and Primo Touch third.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:29.07. Find this race's chart here.

Walton Street paid $3.70, $2.40, and $2.20. Desert Encounter paid $5.40 and $4.30. Primo Touch $6.80.

Bred in England by Darley, Walton Street is a 7-year-old gelding by Cape Cross out of the Encosta de Lago mare Brom Felinity. He is owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby. With his win in the G1 Canadian International, Walton Street has three wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of seven wins in 19 starts and career earnings of $962,153.

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