David Milch’s CHARMO (Fr) (Charnwood Forest [Ire]) rallied widest of all out
of the far turn and closed strongly through the stretch to capture Saturday’s
$330,000
San Francisco Breeders’ Cup Mile S. (G2) at Golden Gate Fields. Trained
by Julio Canani, the five-year-old gray notched his first stakes win and bested
the classy Aragorn (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway) by a length over the firm turf,
stopping the timer in 1:34 1/5. Charmo, who competed in several Group races in
Europe before coming to America and breaking his maiden last October, improved
his overall mark to 22-4-3-5, $358,727.
Multiple Grade 1 winner Sweet Return (GB) (Elmaamul) led the field through
opening splits in :23 3/5, :47 1/5 and 1:11, but he gave up the lead to Aragorn
between calls in upper stretch. Charmo lagged far behind the pace until
launching his wide rally on the far turn, circling rivals with a confident
Martin Pedroza in the saddle, but he lost ground to Aragorn, who enjoyed the
perfect trip while getting through on the rail. Charmo determinedly ran down his
rival and pulled clear.
The near 5-2 second favorite, Charmo returned $6.80, $3.40 and $3.
Aragorn, the 7-5 choice, gave back $2.80 and $2.40, and Place Cowboy (Ire)
(Compton Place), who rallied for third, another length back at 17-1, paid $5.80. Adreamisborn (Kris S.) edged Ulistnintome (Wild Rush) for fourth, and Sweet
Return was another head back in sixth. Next came Hendrix (Sultry Song) and Romeo
Plus (Arg) (Alpha Plus). The $1 exotics totaled $6.20 (exacta), $45 (trifecta)
and $190.30 for the 1-2-3-4 superfecta.
Bred in France by Scea Ecurie Bader, Charmo has now won four of six starts in
the United States and established himself as an early prospect for the Breeders’
Cup Mile (G1), which Canani has won previously with French imports Silic (Fr)
and Val Royal (Fr). Charmo placed in a couple of Group 3 events in 2004, and he
entered the San Francisco Mile off a good sixth, beaten only a length in March’s
Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1). He’s out of the Group 3-winning Marie de Ken (Kendor), making him a
half-brother to French highweight Ana Marie (Anabaa).