Named a 'TDN Rising Star' when romping to a 12-length maiden victory over the adjacent Tapeta track back on July 13, Gold Square LLC's Two Out Hero (War Front) split horses decisively with push coming to shove in Saturday's Soaring Free Stakes at Woodbine and finished nicely to take his record to two wins from as many tries and cap a wildly successful afternoon from the King's Plate-winning barn of Kevin Attard.
Off as the 6-5 chalk, the $240,000 Keeneland September purchase could have flaunted the same sort of speed he exhibited on his debut run, but instead was settled just off the pace by Rafael Hernandez, as the previously unbeaten Casson (Caravaggio) showed the way.
Traveling kindly on the back of the speed into the long Woodbine straight, it appeared as if Hernandez might duck to the inside of Casson, but instead he went for a run between rivals, squeezed through and kicked on nicely for a clear-cut victory. Argos (Nyquist), a debut winner sprinting over the Ellis Park turf for Riley Mott, ran home for third.
“This is a good horse,” said Attard, who was adding this to the King's Plate and the GII King Edward Stakes in the two races prior to the Soaring Free. “I think he's a very special horse. So far, everything's gone according to plan and this is another stepping stone. We will take it from here.
“It's been a fantastic day,” he said. “It's been a rough month. We had a lot of tough beats. We couldn't find the winner's circle. Luckily, today, everything kind of came together for us. The team puts in a lot of work and it's nice to see them get rewarded, as well. I couldn't be doing this without them. So, kudos to them and we're just going to enjoy the rest of the day.”
Attard said there is a temptation to send Two Out Hero south of the border for the rich purses available to Kentucky-breds at Kentucky Downs, but, quoting the Wizard of Oz, added, “there's no place like home.”
The Sept. 13 GI Summer Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf over a mile is the logical next port of call at Woodbine.
Originally a $175,000 purchase by Team Casse at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale in 2019, Song River was twice stakes-placed that season and was sold to this breeder for $90,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale in 2020. She is also the dam of a yearling Constitution filly that is catalogued as hip 1302 at Keeneland September and a filly foal by Cody's Wish. She visited Flightline this past breeding season.
Two Out Hero is the 119th worldwide stakes winner for Claiborne Farm stalwart War Front. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
BET365 SOARING FREE S., C$156,500, Woodbine, 8-16, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:15.91, fm.
1–TWO OUT HERO, 120, c, 2, by War Front
1st Dam: Song River (MSP, $222,114), by Liam's Map
2nd Dam: Harlan's Honor, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Indian Rush, by Indian Charlie
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($240,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Kevin Attard; J-Rafael Manuel Hernandez. C$90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $97,683.
2–Casson, 122, c, 2, Caravaggio–Zee Ro Drop, by Lemon Drop Kid. ($200,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Manfred & Penny Conrad; B-Ballycroy Training Centre & Villa Rosa Farms (ON); T-Mark E Casse. C$36,000.
3–Argos, 120, c, 2, Nyquist–Athenian (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($10,000 Ylg '24 FTKJUL; $165,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR). O-David S Romanik; B-Green Lantern Stables, LLC (KY); T-Riley Mott. C$15,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 1.20, 3.40, 4.70.
Also Ran: Rude Procedure, Jupiter, Baytown Dreamer, Jutland, Longhi, Mo Dodgy.
War Front (@claibornefarm) colt TWO OUT HERO ($4.40) impressed in the $150,000 Soaring Free Stakes at @WoodbineTB. Trainer @kevin_attard gets another win on the card! Rafael Hernandez was up on the two-year-old. pic.twitter.com/p01uqj8IOO
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 16, 2025
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