Frankel wins E.P. Taylor with Commercante

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Commercante, under a perfectly timed ride by John Velazquez, wore down odds-on Punctilious to capture the Grade 1, $750,000 by a half-length here Sunday.

Punctilious, invading from England for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Frankie Dettori, finished second in the field of eight fillies and mares traveling 1.25 miles on a "good" turf course.

Classic Stamp finished strongly to be third, a neck behind Punctilious, with French invader Samando ending fourth.

Mona Rose, Asti, the pace-setting Ometsz, and Heyahohowdy completed the order of finish.

The riders of Samando, Heyahohowdy and Mona Rose all claimed foul against Punctilious but the stewards disallowed the objections.

Dimitrova, who suffered a bout of colic after shipping in from Kentucky, and Inish Glora, who had twisted an ankle, were both late scratches.

Commercante, an English-bred 4-year-old filly trained by Bobby Frankel, came into the Taylor off a second-place finish in Belmont's Grade 1 Flower Bowl, where she was ridden by Velasquez for the first time.

"Last time there was no pace, and I couldn't get her behind horses," said Velasquez. "This time she broke a little slowly; was covered up, and came right off the bridle.

"That made it easier for me, to not be fighting with her."

Commercante returned $7.10 as the second choice and keyed a $16.40 exactor with Punctilious. The triactor returned $82.30 and the superfecta $134.00.

Commercante, who had raced in France before coming to Frankel this year, earned $450,000 for her fourth victory in 13 career outings.

The final time for the Taylor was 2:04.02.