Northern Dancer Turf S. Presented by HPIBet

Illinois-bred The Pizza Man proved his class in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine, edging European shipper Wake Forest and pacesetter World Approval in a blanket finish.

The 7-year-old English Channel gelding found his way back to top form after a dull sixth-place finish in his bid for a repeat victory in the Aug. 13 Arlington Million (gr. IT). He was the first Illinois-bred to win the Million when he took it in 2015, and Saturday under Flavien Prat became the first from the Prairie State to take the Northern Dancer.

“He seems to be getting better as we go along this year, and Flavien just gave him a very good ride,” said owner Richard Papiese of Midwest Thoroughbreds.

Prat kept homebred The Pizza Man in a stalking second behind World Approval as that one crept along through slow early fractions — :27.30, :54.94, and 1:20.71 through three-quarters of a mile — under Julien Leparoux. Turning for home, it looked as though World Approval would hang on, but The Pizza Man surged forward to claim the second Grade 1 victory of his career for trainer Roger Brueggemann. Final time for the 1 1/2-mile test was 2:32.85.—Claire Novak