Filo Di Arianna surges in final furlong of King Edward

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Filo Di Arianna established himself as a contender for next month’s Grade 1 Woodbine Mile with a sharp score in the Grade 2 King Edward on Sunday’s Queen’s Plate undercard.

A Brazilian import trained by Mark Casse, Filo Di Arianna dueled with last year’s Woodbine mile winner, Town Cruise, through moderate fractions in the one-mile turf event.

Town Cruise began to wilt in midstretch and Filo Di Arianna drew clear in the final furlong to prevail by two lengths over a closing Harlan Estate, in a time of 1:34.69.

Haddassah finished third and was followed by March to the Arch, Town Cruise, and Weyburn.

Filo Di Arianna ($4.20) earned $120,000 of the $213,600 purse for the partnership of Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch.

A son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner of Drosselmeyer, Filo Di Arianna was unbeaten in Brazil in 2019 before being imported to North America. He won his Woodbine debut impressively following an extended layoff in June 2021, and then went to the sidelines again.

Casse said Filo Di Arianna colicked after a dull effort in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland in April, and the 6-year-old also ran poorly in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont in June before returning to Woodbine. The King Edward was his third front-running score in a row, following wins in a conditioned allowance and the Grade 2 Connaught Cup.

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