Leroidesanimaux crushes field in Atto Mile

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The aptly-named Leroidesanimaux, French for "King of the Animals," overwhelmed his opposition in the $1,001,600 Sunday at Woodbine, taking the ninth running of the turf event by 7 3/4 lengths over 26-1 shot Mobil.

It was the eighth consecutive win for Leroidesanimiaux, who firmly established himself as the continent's leading turf miler. After the Grade 1 race, trainer Bobby Frankel said the Brazilian-bred 5-year-old would likely be supplemented to the Breeders' Cup Mile on Oct. 29 at Belmont, at a cost of $135,000.

Royal Regalia led through a quarter in :23.07 seconds, before Leroidesanimaux took control along the inside under John Velazquez. Leroidesanimaux got the half in :45.89, and then drew off in the stretch to complete the distance 1:35.08, over a course labeled yielding.

It was the second Atto victory for jockey John Velazquez and trainer Bobby Frankel, who teamed up to capture the 2000 running with Riviera.

"I wanted to make sure than he broke well and got a good position," said Velazquez. "Coming to the quarter pole, I shook him up, and he responded right away. I hit him one time, and he kept opening up on the field. He did it very easily."

Leroidesanimaux ($3.30) earned $600,000 for Stud TNT, which boosted his bankroll to $1,344,337.

Mobil rallied wide from eighth to finish a length ahead of Le Cinquieme Essai. Vanderlin was a troubled fourth in the nine-horse field.

Jockey Patrick Husbands said his mount, Mobil, was simply second best.

"He broke pretty sharp, and then relaxed," Husbands said. "They were rolling up front, and they had to come back to me. The winner is definitely a monster."

* Bear's Kid ($33.10) made most of the running in the $284,300 Summer, one of two supporting Grade 2 stakes on the Atto Mile card, along with the Canadian. Both races were contested over a course labeled soft.

Bear's Kid put away favored Baur Au Lac on the turn in the one-mile test for 2-year-olds, and held Badge of Truth at bay in the stretch to prevail by a length and three-quarters. The final time was 1:40.35.

"He had Lasix for the first time today, and I thought he'd be a vastly improved horse off his last race," said Jim McAleney, who rode Bear's Kid in both the Summer and the allowance prep for the Summer.

Bear's Kid earned $170,100 in his first stakes score for trainer Reade Baker.

* Classic Stamp ($17.60) took the $373,100 Canadian Handicap for the second year in a row, giving apprentice Emma Wilson and trainer Darwin Banach their first stakes victory.

Classic Stamp got a dream run closing along the rail in the nine-furlong grass event for fillies and mares. She won by a length and a quarter over a closing Ambitious Cat, in a final time of 1:47.25.

Said Wilson: "Coming around the turn, I was worried about the speed backing up into us, but she's a big, strong, powerful filly. I knew that if there was a hole, and if I pointed her in the right direction, she'd get us there."