Fourth in his only previous Stakes attempt, Gas Me Up would not be denied in his second try as he charged six-wide down the center of the course to win the G2 King Edward Stakes by three-quarters of a length at Woodbine Aug. 16.
Much had changed for the five-year-old son of Hard Spun since his Stakes debut in the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita as a juvenile in 2022. Sidelined for 20 months after that race, Gas Me Up was gelded after his lone 2024 start and was transferred from trainer Peter Eurton to Kevin Attard.
Stretching back out to one mile after his six-furlong allowance win July 20, Gas Me Up sat well off the pace under jockey Flavien Prat. War Strategy and Piper's Factor led the charge through early splits of :23.56 and :45.91.
Next to last heading into the final turn, Prat angled the gelding six-wide into the lane and he swept past his rivals, relishing every bit of the long Woodbine stretch. Forging to the lead inside the final furlong, he hit the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Wyoming Bill.
Bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm, Gas Me Up is the second Stakes winner out of the Stakes-placed Smart Strike mare Chic Thrill. The gelding's full brother, Give It a Whirl, captured the 2024 Bald Eagle Derby at Laurel Park. Chic Thrill is out of Canadian Champion juvenile filly, Catch the Thrill, and is a half sister to Stakes-winner Curlin’s Catch.
Gas Me Up is one of three Stakes winners for his sire, Hard Spun since the first of August. In addition to the King Edward winner, Hard Spun is the sire of Highway Robber, winner of the Listed KY Downs Preview Turf Cup and Pondering, who captured the KY Downs Preview Ladies Turf Sprint.
