A $350,000 Keeeneland September yearling purchase by the Godolphin braintrust back in 2014, Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) looms a heavy favorite in Saturday's GI Northern Dancer Turf at Woodbine.
Winner of three of six tries in 2016, including the G1 Coral-Eclipse S., Hawkbill will be having his seventh run of the season and will be visiting his sixth different track while shipping overseas for the first time. Popular winner of Newbury's G3 Aston Park S. in May, the chestnut proved 3/4 of a length too strong in the G2 Princess of Wales's S. at Newmarket July 13 and exits a good second in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin Aug. 13. The form of that race has since been franked by the victorious Dschingis Secret (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), who defeated Japan's Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) among others in the G2 Qatar Prix Foy on Arc Preview day at Chantilly Sept. 10. A Curlin half-brother to Hawkbill fetched a final bid of $800,000 from Albaugh Family Stable at Keeneland September earlier this week.
Messi (Ger) (New Approach {Ire}) looks to be clearly the best of the remainder of the field. The Graham Motion-trainee crossed the border last August and walked away the easy winner of the GII Sky Classic S., but has failed to win in four subsequent tried, including a fast-finishing third in an 11-furlong allowance over the Saratoga turf July 21.
The form of this year's Sky Classic is represented by Noble Thought (Harlan's Holiday), who raced four wide on the final turn and stayed on well to finish runner-up to Messi's stablemate Can'thelpbelieving (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}). He'll have to have his running shoes on to match strides with Hawkbill, but a slice is certainly well within reach.
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