Nagirroc unleashed a powerful turn of foot on Saturday to set a new Pimlico Race Course track record for a mile on the turf in the James W. Murphy Stakes.
The 3-year-old son of Lea broke from the outside post, and after getting clear of the mid-pack runners, jockey Flavien Prat quickly moved his mount toward the rail to settle in behind the lead quartet of Funtastic Again, Fadetheniose, A Western Yarn, and Top Recruit.
Funtastic Again, making his first turf start since his 2-year-old debut in July 2022, broke from the rail and led the inside trip through an opening quarter-mile in :22.44 seconds, chased closely by Fadethenoise, while Nagirroc settled in the pocket on the rail behind the two leaders.
Funtastic Again continued to carry his advantage through the backstretch in a half-mile time of :46.15. A flagging Fadethenoise floated out a path wider entering the final turn, and Prat fired Nagirroc through the hole to catch Funtastic Again. Nagirroc had already bested the previous leader after six furlongs in 1:09.84, and he piled on through the stretch with Prat doing little more to encourage his mount than flashing the crop.
After a look over his right shoulder, Prat popped Nagirroc with the crop once, then put him under a hand ride through the final sixteenth to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Pacesetter Funtastic Again carried on for second, holding off Circling the Drain by a neck.
Nagirroc stopped the clock in the one-mile turf race in 1:33.11 over a firm course to set a new track record. The previous record was held by North East Bound in the 2000 Charlie Eckman Mile Stakes, who completed the trip in 1:33.42.
Nagirroc's record-setting performance came shortly after Prat eclipsed another Pimlico record for 1 1/8 miles on the turf aboard Never Explain in the Grade 3 Dinner Party Stakes. The James W. Murphy was Prat's third stakes win over the Pimlico turf on Saturday's card, also including the Jim McKay Turf Sprint aboard Beer Can Man.
Prat rode Nagirroc for owners Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, and William Strauss. He is trained by Graham Motion. The colt paid $4 to win.
Saturday's victory was Nagirroc's third win from seven career starts, and his first of 2023. It was his second career stakes triumph after winning the G3 Futurity Stakes as a 2-year-old. His earnings now total $377,550.
Bred in Kentucky by Chervenell Thoroughbreds, Nagirroc is out of the winning Zamindar mare Emma Spencer.
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