by Mike Curry
Champs Elysees (GB) surged to the lead in deep stretch and held off a desperate late bid from multiple Group 1 winner Quijano (Ger) to prevail by a nose in the $685,175 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Presented by VTech (Can-G1) on Sunday at Woodbine.
Trained by Bobby Frankel, the five-year-old Danehill horse became the record-equaling fifth Grade 1 winner produced by 2006 Broodmare of the Year Hasili (Ire), by Kahyasi.
A full brother to champions Intercontinental (GB) and Banks Hill (GB) as well as multiple group stakes winner and leading French sire Dansili (GB), Champs Elysees boosted his earnings to $1,001,327. Also a full brother to Grade 1 winner Cacique (Ire) and a half brother to Grade 1 winner Heat Haze (GB), he improved to four wins in 18 career starts and earned his third group or graded stakes victory.
A Juddmonte Farms homebred, Champs Elysees won the San Marcos Stakes (G2) on January 19 but was winless in four subsequent starts entering the Northern Dancer, most recently a sixth-place finish in the United Nations Stakes (G1) on July 5 at Monmouth Park.
Jockey Garrett Gomez reserved Champs Elysees off the pace in the 1½-mile Northern Dancer as Cloudy’s Knight set leisurely fractions of :25.46, :52.09, and 1:17.86 through six furlongs. Quijano stalked Cloudy’s Knight from third with Seaside Retreat also positioned well in fourth through a mile in 1:43.24.
Champs Elysees split foes entering the stretch and uncoiled his winning bid when roused. He closed gamely from the outside to seize command in the final furlong and dug in determinedly in the closing strides to fend off hard-charging 2.05-to-1 favorite Quijano.
Sent off at 3.60-to-1 odds in the nine-horse field, Champs Elysees completed the distance in 2:32.02 on yielding turf.
Quijano finished a half-length in front of Seaside Retreat, who edged Marsh Side by a neck for third. Multiple Grade 1 winner Better Talk Now did not threaten while finishing seventh.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor