The globetrotting Nations Pride added a fourth Group One victory to his impressive record by winning the Arlington Million at Colonial Downs on Sunday.
Charlie Appleby’s five-year-old began his career with two wins as a juvenile before securing a notable victory at Meydan and a Listed win at Newmarket in his three-year-old season. Although he was disappointed in the 2022 Derby at Epsom, where he finished eighth behind Desert Crown, Nations Pride has since enjoyed considerable success abroad. His first three Group One wins came in the Saratoga Derby, the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Germany, and the Canadian International at Woodbine.
After placing in both the Man O’ War Stakes and the Manhattan Stakes earlier in the year, the son of Teofilo was the favourite to claim victory in the Arlington Million. He settled comfortably in mid-pack as Sugoi led the field. William Buick guided Nations Pride to the outside on the home turn, where he accelerated smartly to win by a length and three-quarters over Integration, with Charlie Hills-trained Ancient Rome finishing third, just half a length further back.
Buick commented on Godolphin’s website, “Nations Pride is a very good horse. He is very uncomplicated and does exactly what you want. He’s a pleasure to ride.”
He added, “He has adapted well to North American racing. A mile and a quarter are likely his ideal distance, although he can also handle an easy mile and a half. We’ll see what Charlie and the team decide for his next race.”