SAN FRANCISCO -- French-bred Charmo circled the field on the
far turn, then held off favored Aragorn by a length Saturday to win
the $330,000 San Francisco Breeders' Cup Mile at Golden Gate
Fields.
Place Cowboy was third in the Grade 2 turf contest, a length
behind Aragorn.
Winning rider Martin Pedroza kept the 5-year-old Charmo in
seventh place in the early running before easing to the outside
with just over a quarter-mile to run. The gray soon was on even
terms with pacesetter Sweet Return and dashed to a daylight
advantage in mid-stretch.
Aragorn, patiently ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, found room
along the rail for a final rally but gave way after closing to
within a neck of the winner. Charmo broke from the inside post
position and stayed next to the rail around the clubhouse turn.
"The key for me was to save ground early, then just go wide on
the last turn," Pedroza said afterward. "He just pulled me to the
lead. In a race worth this much money, I can get aggressive with my
whip, but I never even cocked my stick in the stretch because he
was running so good."
Charmo won for the fourth time in six American starts after
failing to win in 16 tries in Europe.
"He was running against the best horses over there, even though
he was a maiden," said trainer Julio Canani, who won the Mile for
a record fifth time. "He has a tremendous turn of foot, he just
explodes in the stretch. He doesn't like soft turf but today
everything was perfect."
The winner returned $6.80 as the second choice in the wagering
and earned $165,000 to boost his bankroll to $358,727. The final
time of 1:34.28 on firm going equaled the second-fastest clocking
in the 57-year history of the race.