Interpol, the longest shot on the board at 25-1, turned the tables on Are You Kidding Me and Golden Sabre to win a thrilling edition of Sunday’s $232,400 Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Sid Attard for JMJ Racing Stables LLC, Interpol arrived at the 1 1/4-mile turf event from an even fifth-place run in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes won by rival Are You Kidding Me by a half-length over Golden Sabre.
Sky Flight set the tempo in the Sky Classic posting moderate splits of :25.81, :50.07 and 1:14.02 over a ‘firm’ E.P. Taylor Turf Course, with Are You Kidding Me keeping close watch from second position.
Interpol, stalked from third position under Emma-Jayne Wilson, and advanced three-wide late in the turn to engage the new leader Are You Kidding Me as Golden Sabre, piloted by Luis Contreras, struggled to find racing room in third.
Interpol, with a powerful stretch drive, took command late in the lane and dug in to hold off the surging Golden Sabre by a neck. Are You Kidding Me lost the place position by a nose, while Mr Speaker, sent to post as the 8-5 mutuel favourite, rallied for fourth. Interpol stopped the clock in 2:01.05.
Wilson, who picked up the mount from the injured Jesse Campbell, was aboard Interpol for the first time.
“Sid said if it was slow enough he’ll be there and settle real nice for you. It was exactly what happened,” said Wilson. “Boulanger (on Sky Flight) shot away from the gate and I knew he would be in a nice tracking position and settle for me. When I called on him, he dug in deep, really deep.”
The decision to engage Are You Kidding Me at the top of the lane was key.
“I thought (Are You Kidding Me) was one of the horses to beat. We got half a head in front of him and I was just concerned with whether or not I could hold Are You Kidding Me off. (If we held him) then I think we could hold everyone else as well. I think he (Interpol) had the same thought. With his ears pinned, he kept his head in front and he was doing it all on heart fighting for everything he could get.”
The victory marked the first added money score for the four-year-old English Channel bay who finished a game second on this day last season when second in the Breeders’ Stakes, at odds of 18-1, to Ami’s Holiday.
The Sky Classic score marked the third win in five attempts this season for the improving colt. Interpol banked $144,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-2-0 from 12 starts.
He paid $44.50, $15.10 and $4.80, combining with Golden Sabre ($4.80, $3.50) for a $161.60 (5-3) exactor. A 5-3-4 triactor (Are You Kidding Me, $2.70 to show) was worth $450.30.
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