Asfoora wins Nunthorpe; Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is a maybe
Australia-bred mare Asfoora surged from sixth to first in the final furlong Friday, pulling off an 11-1 upset in the Group 1, US$941,416 Nunthorpe Stakes, the featured sprint at the Ebor Festival in York, England.
The win qualified the 7-year-old by Flying Artie for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Looking ahead at five-furlong turf sprints, winning trainer Henry Dwyer said the Flying Five (G1) on Sept. 14 at the Curragh, Ireland, was a most likely next race for Asfoora with the Prix de l’Abbaye (G1) at ParisLongchamp a possibility on Oct. 5.
“The Flying Five, assuming she pulls up well, yes,” Dwyer told U.K.-based Racing TV. “The ground you can get in France, if it was a heavy track, we may not go there. America is a big logistical challenge. It would depend on if she was still feeling and going well. We’ll see what happens.”
Carrying 138 pounds, Asfoora broke alertly from post 5 in the five-furlong, straight race for 17 horses, ages 2 and up. Oisín Murphy rode her in a tightly bunched, forward group led by Night Raider (9-1) and Jm Jungle (12-1). After splitting horses, Asfoora asserted herself in the deep stretch and ran on to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Ain’t Nobody (75-1), a 3-year-old colt who was assigned 139 pounds, closed from next to last and placed second. Frost At Dawn (9-1), a 4-year-old Frosted filly carrying 138 pounds, was forward throughout and wound up another nose back in third. Night Raider, a 4-year-old colt with 141 pounds, finished a length farther up the track in fourth.
Three-year-old colt Arizona Blaze (7-2), a two-time group winner this year who was the post-time favorite in World Pool betting, withered to finish 11th with an impost of 139 pounds.
The winning time was 57.38 seconds without a run-up on a course rated good to firm, good in places. Asfoora returned $24.10 and $8.70, Ain’t Nobody $51.20 and Frost At Dawn $6.70 in each-way dividends.
Owned by Akram El-Fahkri’s Noor Elaine Farm in Australia, Asfoora is a five-time group winner whose most significant past triumph came in the 2024 King Charles III (G1) at Royal Ascot. She finished fourth in last year’s Nunthorpe. Asfoora was coming off three consecutive off-the-board finishes this year, including a seventh in the King George (G2) on Aug. 1 at Goodwood.