McGaughey’s Ten for Ten the One to Beat in Nashua

Aqueduct’s GIII Nashua S., worth $100,000 at a mile, is often a nice target for developing juveniles who may not have been ready to tackle the top competition in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Recent winners include eventual MGISW Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), who was scratched as the favorite from Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and eventual GISW Violence (Medaglia d’Oro), who is making a splash as a sire.

This year’s edition of the Nashua features seven 2-year-olds, with Ten for Ten (Frosted) heavily favored. Second on debut at Saratoga, the gray broke through at second asking with an eight-length, 78 Beyer Speed Figure romp in the slop at 8 1/2 furlongs Oct. 16 at Belmont. The Shug McGaughey-trained, Courtlandt Farm-owned, $410,000 Keeneland September graduate is out of an unraced half-sister to a Giant’s Causeway trifecta in GISWs Vexatious and Creative Cause, as well as to MGSW & GISP Destin.

Ten for Ten will have to get by first-out winner and Michael Shanley homebred Nova Rags (Union Rags), whose 78 Beyer matches nicely with the favorite. Bill Mott debuted him at six furlongs, but if the colt’s sire has anything to do with it, he should relish the extra distance of the Nashua.

Pickin’ Time (Stay Thirsty) is a New Jersey-bred for trainer Kelly Breen, who not only has the most experience in the field with four starts, but is the only stakes winner to enter the Nashua gate. Winner of the six-furlong Smoke Glacken S. at Monmouth Sept. 27, he was also runner-up at this distance three weeks prior in the Sapling S. Connections aren’t afraid of the big guns, but he was well behind MGISW Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) in the GII Saratoga Special S.

Isolate (Mark Valeski) ships in from Gulfstream with an undefeated record and a 10-length blowout Sept. 12 that got him the highest Beyer of the field at 79, but he’ll have two add two furlongs for trainer Kathy Ritvo. The rest of the field is comprised of double-digit longshots Spectatorless (Mshawish), Civil War (Bodemeister), and Irish Honor (Honor Code).

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Friday Winners in Good Order

The winners of Friday’s juvenile races at the Breeders’ Cup were reported in good order Saturday morning. Trainer Brad Cox celebrated two winners on the championship card when Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) captured the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. and Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) won the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“It was a fantastic day,” Cox said. “Both came out of their races really well. So far so good. Both are a little tired, but they have a right to be. They both appear to have bounced out of the races very well. We’ll see how things go moving forward. We don’t have anything picked out as far as races, but we’re looking forward to coming up with a game plan for next year.”

Aunt Pearl, purchased for 280,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls October sale, won the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. and is now unbeaten in three starts. Essential Quality, also three for three, added his Breeders’ Cup win to a victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders Futurity.

“These are both horses that have shown us a lot since we picked them up in the spring,” Cox said. “It’s a long process getting to a point like this and it’s just a testament to the help, the assistants, the foremen, the exercise riders, the hotwalkers, the grooms, everyone we have in place. I’m just really proud of our staff and really appreciative of the opportunities owners have given us with really nice horses. Aunt Pearl was an expensive purchase out of Tattersalls last year and fortunate to have been given her. Obviously, Godolphin has a very well-bred homebred. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get to a stage like this. It’s very rewarding and we’re very fortunate.”

Trainer Butch Reid was also pleased with GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist (Nyquist).

“When I saw her in the morning jogging and stuff, I thought she looked really good but then when she got over there into the paddock in the afternoon, I thought she looked spectacular,” said Reid. “In my mind, I thought she won the paddock show. She looked good, calm, relaxed. We felt pretty good.”

Reid added that Vequist, campaigned by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable, will now head to Barry Eisaman’s farm in Florida for a freshening to prepare for a sophomore campaign he hopes will include the 2021 GI Kentucky Oaks.

“Four starts as a 2-year-old is plenty for me and we got her stretched around two turns, which is what I wanted,” Reid said. “She’ll soak up some sun and pick on some grass.”

Ranlo Investment’s Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) will also be getting a break following his win in Friday’s GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“He’s doing great this morning,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “He’s a champion. He’s going to hang out here at Keeneland and let down until about Christmas. Usually Keeneland has a turf sprint for 3-year-olds on opening day that we’ll point for and then point to the G1 King’s Stand at Royal Ascot with him.”

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Saturday Undercard: Nashville Sets Track Record, Spill Mars Second Race

The China Horse Club and WinStar Farm showed off a talented young sprinter in the opener on Breeders' Cup Saturday at Keeneland, sending out Nashville for a track record-setting victory in the $125,000 Perryville Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Speightstown ran six furlongs over the fast main track in 1:07.89, annihilating the previous record of 1:08.43 set by A.P. Indian in 2016.

(Note: the run-up for today's Perryville was 55 feet, while the run-up for A.P. Indian's previous track record-setting performance was 34 feet.)

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the 1-9 favorite Nashville grabbed the lead at the start and easily ran away from the field, setting fractions of :21.54, :43.87, and :55.61 without turning a hair. Santana never touched his whip down the lane, cruising under the wire an easy winner by about three lengths over Wild Wes.

Asmussen could have sent the colt to the Breeders' Cup Sprint later on the card, but elected to take an easier route with the inexperienced Nashville.

Bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm, Nashville is out of the unraced Mizzen Mast mare Veronique from the family of multi-millionaires Giacomo and Tiago. Nashville was a $460,000 yearling purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, and has gone undefeated in his first three starts by a total of over 20 lengths. His earnings now stand at $157,200.

The day's second race, the Lafayette Stakes, saw a spill at the top of the stretch mar the action when Absolutely Aiden broke down. Both Dinar and Strike That were also affected and unseated their riders, but galloped out unharmed and were corralled by outriders before being taken back to their respective barns. Trainer Cherie DeVaux Tweeted that Dinar was find other than minor abrasions.

Absolutely Aiden was loaded onto the equine ambulance.

All three jockeys affected by the incident escaped unharmed, and were checked out at first aid and approved to ride their remaining mounts. They are: Tyler Gaffalione (Dinar), Chris Landeros (Absolutely Aiden), and David Cohen (Strike That).

Midnight Sands also appeared to stumble over the stricken horse, and was eased down the stretch by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. He also walked off the track under his own power.

Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Lafayette for trainer Miguel Silva and jockey Joel Rosario.

In the third race, the Fort Springs Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Luis Saez teamed up with Merneith to defeat Motivated Seller by a neck at the finish. The 3-year-old filly is sired by American Pharoah.

Merneith has been a part of Baffert's recent medication controversy: after finishing second in the fourth race on July 25 at Del Mar, the filly returned a positive test for Dextrorphan, a cough suppressant.

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Nashville Dominates in Keeneland’s Perryville

The brilliantly talented Nashville, who had been under consideration for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, kicked off Saturday’s action with a jaw-dropping performance that smashed a track record posted by MGISW A. P. Indian (Indian Charlie) in the 2016 GII Still Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. The bay garnered the ‘TDN Rising Star’ distinction when he cruised home by 11 1/2 lengths in the Saratoga slop first out Sept. 2, and he crushed allowance foes by 9 3/4 lengths over track and trip Oct. 10, good for a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Never drifting from 1-9 odds, the rail-drawn colt went right to the lead as expected, traveled all by his lonesome through supersonic splits of :21.54 and :43.87 and continued along to the wire in a geared-down gallop.

The winner’s 2-year-old half-brother Market Cap (Candy Ride {Arg}), just a $22,000 OBS March grad, scored by seven lengths at third asking in a one-mile, rained-off Laurel maiden special weight Oct. 30. Dam Veronique’s yearling colt by Mastery brought $80,000 at the recent Fasig-Tipton October sale, and dam Veronique sold to Schiano Racing for $22,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale carrying a full-sister to that colt. Back in foal to Collected, Veronique was supplemented to KEENOV and will sell as hip 244D on Monday. Her Mastery filly is catalogued as hip 885. Veronique is out of a full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Giacomo (Holy Bull) and half to MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap). Second dam Styler has done well when paired with Speightstown, having produced GSP ‘Rising Star’ Calistoga and SW Almond Roca by the WinStar stalwart.

PERRYVILLE S., $125,000, Keeneland, 11-7, 3yo, 6f, 1:07.89 (NTR), ft.
1–NASHVILLE, 118, c, 3, by Speightstown
                1st Dam: Veronique, by Mizzen Mast
                2nd Dam: Styler, by Holy Bull
                3rd Dam: Set Them Free, by Stop the Music
   ‘TDN Rising Star($460,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE
   WIN. O-CHC INC. & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Breffni Farm (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $75,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $157,200.
2–Wild Wes, 118, g, 3, Race Day–Tricia’s Trama, by Article of
Faith. ($10,000 RNA Ylg ’18 FTKJUL; $39,000 2yo ’19 OBSOPN).
O-Dundalk 5 LLC, Wesley F Herek Racing Stables LLC & 21
Racing, LLC; B-Nossab LLC & Jan & Madelein Basson (KY);
T-Dee Poulos. $25,000.
3–Little Menace, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Pay Attention, by
Arch. ($460,000 Ylg ’18 FTSAUG). O-Phoenix Thoroughbred,
LTD; B-Gabriel Duignan, Crosshaven Bldsk, Petaluma Bldsk &
Hazelmere Bldsk (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $12,500.
Margins: 3HF, 3 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.10, 28.20, 30.50.
Also Ran: Bango, Fore Left, Cajun Brother, Relentless Dancer.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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