By Duane Fonseca
Godolphin’s 2023 Dubai Millennium Stakes champ Nations Pride claimed a fourth career top-tier success after powering home in the straight to win the Grade 1 Arlington Million Stakes at Colonial Downs on Sunday.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, William Buick found the five-year-old Teofilo entire a mid-division spot in the field of six as Michael Maker’s Sugoi went forward to set the pace under Julien Leparoux.
The frontrunners opened up a near five length lead at the halfway stage and pulled further away approaching the final turn, but once Nations Pride and the rest were asked to make their bids, Sugoi quickly faded, finishing fifth as Buick and his mount motored on to win with a length and three quarters to spare from Claude McGaughey IIIs Integration, who swooped in late to finish second under Kendrick Carmouche. Charles Hills’ British raider Ancient Rome took third, a further half length behind, under Jamie Spencer.
Speaking of Nations Pride, who returned to the winners’ enclosure a little over two months after his two-length defeat by teammate and stable companion Measured Time in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes on June 8, Buick said: “He was the best horse in the race and we knew that.
“Actually, at Saratoga last Friday I got to ride him for a breeze on the Oklahoma track so I knew he was coming here in great form and he really impressed me.
“He’s an exciting horse and he’s won four Grade Ones now. The leader was getting a lot of rope and he was getting it cheap, so I just wanted to have everything covered as well as I could.”
Buick added: “Nations Pride is a very good horse. He is very uncomplicated and does exactly what you like. He is a pleasure to ride.
“He has taken so well to North American racing. A mile and a quarter is probably his best trip, although he can stretch out to an easy mile and a half. We will see what Charlie and the team does with him next.”
