Encino displayed an impressive turn of foot to overhaul longtime leader Grounded on his way to posting a one-and-three-quarter length victory in the $150,000 Presque Isle Mile Stakes on Friday, Sept. 19.
It was the third Stakes win for the four-year-old Nyquist colt, who improved his record to 6-2-1 in 11 starts, with earnings of $650,005. In addition to the Presque Isle Mile, Encino has also been victorious in the G3 Lexington Stakes, the Listed Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial Stakes, and the John Battaglia Stakes. The Godolphin homebred led home a Darley-sired exacta, with Grounded (Medaglia d’Oro) finishing second.
Encino settled near the rear of the field as Grounded set pedestrian early pace with a quarter in :25.15, and a half in :49.78. Swung five-wide heading into the stretch, Encino loomed as the immediate danger to the longtime leader. Overhauling that one not long after, he suddenly hit another gear and was gone, opening up in the final yards to win quite easily.
Encino was bred in Kentucky and is out of Glittering Jewel, a winning daughter of Bernardini. Glittering Jewel is a half-sister to Champion and Darley sire, Street Sense, and to the Stakes winner Elusive Sparkle (by Elusive Quality).
Encino adds yet another feather to the cap of Nyquist, who is in the midst of a tremendous year. The 12-year-old stallion has sired three G1 winners so far this season – Argos (G1 Summer Stakes), Cavalieri (G1 Beholder Mile) and Velocity (G1 Del Mar Oaks). He is also the sire of additional 2025 Graded Stakes winners Nysos (G2), Verity (G2), Crimson Advocate (G2), Tenma (G2), Gosger (G3) and Randomized (G3).
