Ballygallon Stud’s homebred ARAGORN (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway) stalked the
early pace in Monday’s $321,000
Shoemaker
Breeders’ Cup Mile S. (G1), then pounced leaving the far turn and opened up
an insurmountable lead in the stretch. Piloted by Corey Nakatani, the Neil
Drysdale charge finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, getting the
mile on the firm turf at Hollywood Park in a smart 1:32 4/5.
The speedy Willow O Wisp (Misnomer) recovered from an awkward start to assume
command through fractions of :24 3/5, :47 4/5 and 1:10 3/5, but he had no
answer when Aragorn strode past. Charmo (Fr) (Charnwood Forest [Ire]) and 9-5
favorite Silent Name (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) gave valiant if futile chase, with
Charmo outfighting his foe by a neck for second.
As the highest price in the field at more than 6-1, Aragorn paid $15, $6.20
and $3.20. Charmo, second choice at 7-2, gave back $5 and $3 while ending the
$26.50 exacta ($1), and Silent Name yielded $2.40, making the 7-2-4 trifecta
($1) worth $81.
Willow O Wisp reported home 1 1/2 lengths back in fourth, trailed by Diamond
Green (Fr) (Green Desert) and Milk It Mick (GB) (Millkom [GB]). Terroplane (Fr)
(Verglas [Ire]) was withdrawn.
Aragorn’s mark now reads 10-3-4-1 with $465,325 in his account. The
four-year-old chestnut had earned his first stakes score in the Oak Tree Derby
(G2) last October, and in his two starts in 2006, he was a narrowly beaten
runner-up in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) and was second to Charmo in the
San Francisco Breeders’ Cup Mile S. (G2).
The Irish-bred winner is out of Onaga (Mr. Prospector), who has an unraced
juvenile filly named Kaseema (Storm Cat), a yearling colt named Omnicat (Storm
Cat) and a 2006 filly by Giant’s Causeway, a full sister to Aragorn. Onaga is a
full sister to Grade 2 winner and French classic-placed Sha Tha, who is herself
the dam of French Group 2 winner and former highweight State Shinto (Pleasant
Colony). Another full sister, Tacha, is the dam of 2003 European champion
two-year-old colt One Cool Cat (Storm Cat). Onaga’s dam, Savannah Dancer
(Northern Dancer), winner of the 1985 Del Mar Oaks (G2) along with three other
stakes, was a daughter of 1966 Irish champion three-year-old filly and dual
classic heroine *Valoris II (*Tiziano II).