Charlie Appleby and William Buick© Photo Healy Racing
The globetrotting Nations Pride added a fourth Group One victory to his burgeoning CV when landing the Arlington Million at Colonial Downs on Sunday.
Charlie Appleby’s five-year-old won twice as a juvenile before launching his three-year-old career with a valuable win at Meydan and following it up with Listed success at Newmarket.
He disappointed in the 2022 Derby at Epsom, finishing eighth behind Desert Crown, but has since enjoyed a rich run of success overseas – claiming his first three Group One wins in the Saratoga Derby, the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Germany and the Canadian International at Woodbine.
Having been placed in the Man O War Stakes and the Manhattan Stakes on American soil earlier in the year, the son of Teofilo was a hot favourite to open his account for the campaign in the Arlington Million and settled well in the middle of the pack as Sugoi set the pace at the head of the field.
William Buick produced Nations Pride on the outside as they rounded the home turn and he quickened up smartly to beat Integration by a length and three-quarters, with the Charlie Hills-trained Ancient Rome just half a length further away in third.
Buick told Godolphin’s website: “Nations Pride is a very good horse. He is very uncomplicated and does exactly what you like. He is a pleasure to ride.
“He has taken so well to North American racing. A mile and a quarter is probably his best trip, although he can stretch out to an easy mile and a half.
“We will see what Charlie and the team does with him next.”
