Argos held off the late charge of Wild Desert to win the G1 Summer Stakes by a head at Woodbine on Saturday, September 13.
The two-year-old colts completed a Darley-sired exacta, with Argos (Nyquist) just getting the better of Wild Desert (Too Darn Hot) to prevail. The victory by Argos provided Nyquist with his tenth G1 winner, and his third this year. Argos, who entered the race off a third-place finish in the Listed Soaring Free Stakes Aug. 16, improved to 2-0-1 in three starts.
Breaking from the rail under jockey Flavien Prat, Argos was settled mid-pack early as Marcus J (Hard Spun) and Casson set the early fractions. Argos got first jump and made his move on the far turn and was fanned four-wide in the stretch with a furlong to run. Wild Desert was also on the move, rolling from far back in the field, and the two colts battled through the final sixteenth with Argos coming out on top.
Bred in Kentucky by Green Lantern Stables LLC, Argos was purchased for $165,000 by owner David S. Romanik out of the 2025 OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Argos is out of the Stakes-winning mare, Athenian (Acclamation), and is a half-brother to Stakes-placed Skole (Oasis Dream).
Argos is the ninth Graded Stakes winner and third G1 winner of the year for his sire, Nyquist. In addition to Argos, the stallion is represented in 2025 by Cavalieri (G1 Beholder Mile), Velocity (G1 Del Mar Oaks), Nysos (G2), Verity (G2), Crimson Advocate (G2), Tenma (G2) and G3 winners Gosger and Randomized.
