‘Xtremely’ Wild Mile!

It was “xtremely” fast up front, and an “xtremely” wild ride down the stretch, but Xtremely A Fan ran in “xtraordinary” fashion winning a dramatic renewal of the $1,000,000 Canada Mile in Ontario Saturday.

To say it was a lively pace is a little bit of an understatement as Kiki’s Solid Rock and Digging The Grave, working together, set some pretty brutal fractions for the opening half-mile, pressed by Gingobell and Jungleland.  The post-time favorite, Xtremely A Fan, didn’t merely sit off the pace, but was more than twelve lengths from the front end as the field entered the far turn.  But the sizzling pace began to take its toll on the early leaders, as the late kicks of other closing threats Niner Connection and Jolie’s Song , and Xtremely A Fan began to roll.  When the field hit the top of the lane, the favorite began to gobble up ground as if he was coming from a completely different race, passing by the other closers by the eighth pole, and taking charge about 70 yards from the wire.  He drew off late to win by a length and a half, with the game pacesetter Kiki’s Solid Rock holding on to second.  Jolie’s Song checked in third, followed by the three-year-old Niner Connection, both only beaten less than three lengths.

Xtremely A Fan made a lot of fans with his Silky Sullivan-like move, and the four-year-old son of A.P. Indy, from a Kris S. mare, ran the mile in 1:34 1/5.  The performance earned a 110 speed figure, and earned $600,000 for the win.  The ejdstable trainee will likely get at least one more prep for October’s Breeders Bowl Mile, though his immediate plans were unclear at press time.