Librettist triumphs in Moulin

A vintage front-running ride from Frankie Dettori gave Librettist his second straight win in Group 1 company in Sunday's $385,000 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Unhappy with the slow early pace, Dettori put Librettist on the lead after the first quarter of the right-handed mile. At one point, Librettist opened a two-length lead, but Dettori was content to ask him for just a little more when Stormy River and Manduro made their bids. Librettist finished half a length in front of Stormy River, with Manduro another half-length behind in third. Aussie Rules was fourth, and Team Valor's Irridiscence fifth, beaten five lengths. Off as the even-money favorite, Librettist finished in 1:38.10 on good to soft ground.

After sitting out his 3-year-old season, Librettist has now won all five of his starts at 4. The only blemish on his eight-race career is a fifth-place finish to Shamardal in the 2004 Dewhurst Stakes. He is also the first horse to complete the Jacques le Marois/Moulin double since 1997, when subsequent Breeders' Cup Mile winner Spinning World turned the trick.

The Mile is Librettist's ultimate goal this season, but he will prep first in the one-mile Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Sept. 23. The Nicolas Clement-trained Stormy River, who was fourth by 1 3/4 lengths to Librettist in the Jacques le Marois, will go next in the seven-furlong Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on Sept. 30, but he is not being considered for the Breeders' Cup Mile.

* Visionario came from last to first as the 2-5 choice to defeat Holocene by a length in the Group 3, $103,000 Prix La Rochette at Longchamp. A 2-year-old colt trained by Andre Fabre, Visionario finished the seven furlongs in 1:23.80 and is now 3 for 3.