In a thrilling battle to the finish, Pont Aven got the better of Close the Gate to win the $125,000 Star de Naskra Stakes by a nose at Colonial Downs on Saturday, July 11. It was the first stakes win for the son of Blofeld who races for Day At the Races LLC and trainer Mike Trombetta.

Pont Aven was the least favored of four Maryland-breds in the eight-horse field restricted to Maryland or Virginia-bred and/or -sired 3-year-olds, going off at 7-1 as stakes-placed Tartabull, a Maryland-bred son of Tapit, was the 2-1 favorite.

A tightly-bunched group chased longshot State Conceal down the backside off fractions of :22.51, :45.20 and 1:09.32. Pont Aven took aim with a four-wide move under Mychel Sanchez around the far turn, and entered the top of the stretch with lead. Tartabull came up empty as second choice Close the Gate, a Pennsylvania-bred multiple stakes-placed son from the first crop of Northview Stallion Station sire Engage, circled the field widest of all and was rolling down the center of the track.

In the final sixteenth of the seven-furlong stakes on the main track, the two were stride-for-stride as they hit the wire together. The winning time was 1:21.86. Maryland-bred juvenile stakes winner Magic Wallet was more than three lengths back in the show spot.

It was the third win in five starts since Trombetta claimed Pont Aven for $50,000 out of his sophomore debut at Laurel in January, the same seven-furlong maiden race Close the Gate won by nearly 10 lengths, with Pont Aven finishing second.

Pont Aven's first wins came in consecutive outings going one mile at Laurel Park in March, which prompted a try in stakes company. He was stretched out to a mile and a sixteenth in the Sir Barton Stakes on Preakness Day, stayed in touch early and faded late. Making his first start away Laurel, he pushed his record to 9-3-1-1 and $167,335 earned.

Bred by Tom and Chris Bowman and Skeedattle Associates, Pont Aven is the first foal out of the Candy Ride (Arg) mare Sweet Talking Girl, a winning half-sister to stakes winners Cynergy's Star and Look Who's Talking and to the dam of stakes winner Talk to the Judge. Pont Aven's third dam is Skeedattle Associates' graded stakes winner and 2000 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year Gin Talking, whose top runners included graded winner Dixie Talking, dam of Illinois Derby-G3 winner Done Talking. The latter took the Skeedattle partners to the 2012 Kentucky Derby-G1.

Sweet Talking Girl produced a Great Notion colt for the Bowmans in 2024. Sold at last fall's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling sale to Gary Capuano for $48,000 and named Walt's Notion, he's been working steadily since May. After her Frosted foal was born dead in 2025, Sweet Talking Girl was bred back to Hard Spun and produced a colt this past April.

Pont Aven was the first of three stakes winners on the July 11 card for Trombetta -- he sent out Virginia-breds Noquestionaboutit and Determined Kingdom to win the Glenn Petty and Punch Line Stakes, respectively, for the Estate of R. Larry Johnson.