Filo Di Arianna (BRZ)

Filo Di Arianna, a Brazilian-bred son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer, was purchased by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch and shipped to North America after winning her first three career starts at Gavea Racecourse in his home country by a combined 26 ¼ lengths, including two group stakes.

He began his Northern Hemisphere career with a 2 ¼-length win in a seven-furlong turf allowance race at Woodbine in June 2021, but then was shelved until spring 2022, when he returned for a 6-year-old campaign.

Filo Di Arianna was no threat in his first two starts of the year, finishing off the board in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes and the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes. Shipped back to Woodbine by trainer Mark Casse, he won an allowance optional claiming race on the synthetic Tapeta main track by 6 ¾ lengths in early July and then broke through with a graded stakes victory by 2 ½ lengths over March to the Arch in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes on July 23.

The 6-year-old was right back competing against Grade 2 company in the King Edward Stakes Aug. 21 on the Queen’s Plate undercard at Woodbine, and once again he posted a comfortable win, besting Harlan’s Estate by two lengths.

Filo Di Arianna went winless in three outings during the 2023 calendar year and then hit the board three times but was winless in his first three starts of 2024 until breaking through in a big way when he scored in the Grade 2 $200,000 Bet365 Highlander Stakes going six furlongs on the turf at Woodbine on June 29. Sent off as the 2.15-1 second choice on the tote board in an eight-horse field in the Highlander, Filo Di Arianna pressed the pace throughout, outlasted the leader at the top of the stretch and then then drew off to a 2 1/2-length victory.

In his next start after the Highlander, Filo Di Arianna was sent off as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 Bet365 King Edward Stakes Aug. 23 racing on Woodbine’s outer turf course. He broke from the outside post in the one-turn mile race and took command soon after, opening up on the field nearing the turn. 2023 King Edward winner War Bomber moved up to engage in early stretch and the pair dueled through the final yards, but Filo Di Arianna would not relent and was all out to prevail by a nose and secure his second consecutive graded stakes victory.