El Cordobes split horses in deep stretch and prevailed in a dramatic finish to capture the $750,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes Aug. 9 at Saratoga Race Course. The 4-year-old European invader caught Rebel Red and stablemate Nations Pride to score his first Grade 1 victory.

The Sword Dancer was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" event, and the victory earned El Cordobes an automatic paid berth into the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Click to subscribe!

Trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin and ridden by Flavien Prat, El Cordobes clocked the 1 1/2-mile distance in 2:25.04 over a firm turf course and won by a half a length. The win was the initial Sword Dancer Stakes triumph for Appleby, who heads the European division of Godolphin's world famous stable.

Longshot Vote No set the early pace in the three-turn Sword Dancer and took pressure from favored Far Bridge who moved up through a half mile in a quick :47.40. Nations Pride later moved into second midway on the final turn as the favorite and the early leader gave way. Nations Pride motored to the front and extended to a temporary 2 1/2-length lead with a furlong to go as El Cordobes and Rebel Red gave chase and began gaining quickly behind him.

Racing between Nations Pride and Rebel Red in the final yards, El Cordobes and Prat grabbed a short lead inside the sixteenth pole and maintained it to the wire.

"I turned for home and split horses and he really gave me a good run," Prat said.

Rebel Red, trained by Cherie DeVaux, rallied late and grabbed second by three-quarters of a length over Nations Pride who settled for third.

Far Bridge faded to finish sixth after having won three of his previous four starts. Far Bridge's trainer Miguel Clement said, "We'll look at him back at the barn and figure it out."

El Cordobes. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)

The win was the fourth victory in 10 lifetime starts for El Cordobes, who won the Group 2 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket Race Course in his previous start.

"To come over and win it for the first time with a progressive type of horse who finished very strongly, it all points to big things going forward," said Appleby's assistant Chris Connett.

Connett said both El Cordobes and Nations Pride would return home to Europe next week.

Before the race, it was announced that the Sword Dancer will be renamed in 2026 in honor of beloved trainer Christophe Clement, who passed away May 25 at the age of 59 and owned the record with five wins in the Sword Dancer.

Connett voiced a deep respect for the late Clement on behalf of Godolphin.

"He was a really good man," Connett said. "I was fortunate to have known him since 2005, and he was such an advocate for international horses to come over and run in these races. I think Christophe would have been happy with an international runner coming here and winning the race. He was always kind to us."