NEWS
Leroidesanimaux crushes Atto Mile field
Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005
Displaying dominance that is certain to make him a heavy favorite in his next start, Leroidesanimaux (Brz) stretched his winning streak to eight races with a powerful 7 3/4-length victory in the Atto Mile Stakes (Can-G1) on Sunday at Woodbine.While winning his third Grade 1 race, the chestnut son of Candy Stripes continued his march toward the $1.5-million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on October 29 with a victory that left trainer Bobby Frankel touting Leroidesanimaux as one of his all-time greats.
"He's got to rank up there with the better turf horses I've ever trained,'' Frankel said. "He never gets beat. When you have a horse like that you got to consider him one of the best you ever trained.''
Leroidesanimaux was much the best against a field of eight three-year-olds and older who found themselves distanced in the stretch run of the one-mile race. After overcoming an early head deficit to Royal Regalia, the winner drew clear early in the turn and took a six-length lead in the stretch while cruising home in 1:35.08 on yielding turf.
"It's awesome to ride this kind,'' winning jockey John Velazquez said. "It's just a pleasure to be around horses like this and ride this kind of horses.''
Frankel knew there was no catching the five-year-old Leroidesanimaux once he opened a two-length lead three-quarters of a mile into the race.
"Royal Regalia broke good. We broke good. John let him run out of there a little bit and made the lead,'' Frankel said. "When I looked up at the head of the stretch on the TV he was drawing out a little bit. So I saw that he was feeling very comfortable after that.''
Racing on the inside after breaking from post position one, Leroidesanimaux quickly took command while easing Frankel's concerns about running on soft turf. The winner widened his advantage when asked in the stretch to easily hold off a late bid by Mobil, the runner-up who rallied six wide from eighth to finish one length in front of Le Cinquieme Essai.
Because Leroidesanimaux is not nominated to the Breeders' Cup, he must be supplemented by owner T N T Stud to run in the Mile.
"I'm sure the owners want to supplement,'' Frankel said. "If he's doing really well, we'll probably go.''
A half brother to Group 1 winner Uapybo and Group 3 winner Disport (Brz), Leroidesanimaux boosted his bankroll to $1,253,377 with his ninth victory in 12 career starts. Bred in Brazil by Haras Bage Do Sul, the horse is one of five winners from six starters out of unraced Ahonoora mare Dissemble (GB).
Please see chart courtesy of Equibase at
http://www.equibase.com
