Classic Mo Town, out of the Argentine mare Potra Clásica, captured the Eclipse Stakes (G2)

Over the synthetic track at Woodbine in Canada, he shone at the graded level for the first time, a well-deserved reward for his consistency and determination

Classic Mo Town earned a well-deserved victory / WOODBINE

TORONTO, Canadá (Special for Turf Diario).- Always consistent, Classic Mo Town, a son of the accomplished Argentine mare Potra Clásica (Potrillón), earned the first stakes win of his career on Saturday at Woodbine, taking the bet365 Eclipse Stakes (G2) over 1700 meters on the Tapeta surface. The race offered a purse of $175,000.

Trained by Marty Drexler for owner Bruno Schickedanz, the 5-year-old gelding had recorded 20 top-four finishes in his first 21 starts, showing time and again that he was ready to break through at the graded level—and he finally did so with a strong, determined effort against proven competition.

Previously second in last year’s Valedictory Stakes (G3)—his lone stakes try to date—Classic Mo Town took a major step forward with Saturday’s win.

Get Smokin (Get Stormy), a multiple graded winner who had taken the 2024 Valedictory, set the pace early, tracked by Possiblemente (Tale of Ekati), a stablemate of Classic Mo Town, while the multiple stakes winner Dataman (Tapit) settled in third. Under Eswan Flores, Classic Mo Town relaxed nicely in sixth through an opening quarter in :24.04.

With no changes up front through a half in :47.86, Get Smokin continued to show the way under increased pressure from Possiblemente around the far turn. Having advanced inside momentarily, Classic Mo Town tipped out for running room and surged strongly as the field straightened for home.

He collared the longtime leader with authority and, once in front, dug in gamely to score by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:42.97. Webslinger (Constitution) closed from well back to grab second, while Get Smokin held on for third.

"He's such an easy horse to ride, very honest," said Flores, who earlier on the card had also won the Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) aboard Old Chestnut (Speightstown) for the same connections. "My only concern was the inside post—maybe getting trapped—but Marty had him spot on today. I just had to push the button."

Drexler added: “He’s always been a solid horse. I knew he was coming into the race the right way, and I trust him completely. Since we’ve had him, he’s been all heart. And Eswan is riding with confidence—that makes a difference.”

Bred in Florida by John B. Penn and Sue’s Farm II, LLC, Classic Mo Town is by Mo Town and the stakes-winning Potrillón mare Potra Clásica, who was a multiple stakes winner in the U.S. and has also produced Town Classic(Speightstown), a G3-placed runner. She hails from a deep Argentine family that includes Potrimagic and Potri Classi, all bred by the late Haras La Madrugada.