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Track Record-Holder Nashville Returns From Year-Long Layoff This Friday At Oaklawn

Whitmore won the biggest sprint race Nov. 7, 2020, at Keeneland, but Nashville won the fastest.

Now, more than 13 months after setting a 6-furlong track record on that Breeders' Cup undercard, lightly raced Nashville is scheduled to launch his comeback in an allowance sprint Friday afternoon at Oaklawn for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and co-owners WinStar Racing and China Horse Club.

“It's just kind of a starting point,” WinStar President/CEO and racing manager Elliott Walden said Wednesday morning. “We want to get a race in him and see where we are. It looks like a good spot. There's some competitive horses in there and it will give us a good barometer.”

Nashville is among seven horses entered in the 5 ½-furlong eighth race, which has a $102,000 purse. Probable post time is 3:46 p.m. (Central). Nashville, to be ridden for the first time by Florent Geroux, drew the rail and is the 7-5 program favorite.

Nashville hasn't started since suffering his first career loss in the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds Dec. 26, 2020, at Santa Anita. Charlatan, who captured the first division of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) earlier that year at Oaklawn, won the 7-furlong Malibu, with Nashville finishing fourth, beaten 8 ¼ lengths.

“It's been a long road,” Walden said. “Sometimes, horses make you wait.”

Walden said Nashville had a small ankle chip removed following the Malibu. After resuming training last May, Walden said the 4-year-old son of Speightstown – Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and champion sprinter in 2004 – came up “a little off behind” and he was sent home.

“Nothing major, but had a couple of starts and stops this year,” Walden said, adding Nashville returned to Asmussen Sept. 10 and “hasn't missed a beat since then.”

Nashville has a long string of workouts at Churchill Downs and a half-mile maintenance breeze Monday morning at Oaklawn in advance of his comeback. Also entered in Friday's race are multiple stakes winner Mr. Jagermeister, the speedy Firecrow and Hollis, an allowance winner at 5 ½ furlongs last April at Oaklawn. Nashville dazzled in his first three career starts, winning by a combined 24 ¾ front-running lengths.

“You're always concerned about a layoff, but Steve knows how to handle these horses,” Walden said. “He said he's ready. Just looking forward to getting him back.”

Nashville posted Beyer Speed Figures of 91 for an 11 ½-length debut victory in September 2020 at Saratoga, 103 for a 9 ¾-length first-level allowance victory in October 2020 at Keeneland and 102 for a 3 ½-length victory in the $125,000 Perryville Stakes for 3-year-olds about a month later at Keeneland.

Under perennial Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr., Nashville won the Perryville in a track-record 1:07.89 after setting fractions of :21.54 for the opening quarter and :43.87 for a half-mile. The surface was fast. Oaklawn-raced A.P. Indian set Keeneland's previous 6-furlong track record (1:08.43) in the $250,000 Phoenix Stakes (G2) in 2016.

Roughly four hours after the Perryville, the first race on the card, seven-time Oaklawn stakes winner Whitmore captured the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) to secure an Eclipse Award as the country's champion male sprinter. Whitmore's winning time over a fast track was 1:08.61.

“We debated whether to go into the Breeders' Cup off of two starts,” Walden said. “Just felt like it was not a fair thing to do, to run a 3-year-old against top sprinters and older horses that had more experience and everything, so we opted for the path of least resistance. But after he ran, and ran so fast, I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you there was a hint of: 'I wish we had run in the Breeders' Cup Sprint that day.' ”

Nashville has won 3 of 4 lifetime starts and earned $175,200. He was purchased for $460,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

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Endorsed To Take On Dennis’ Moment In Saturday’s Mr. Prospector

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who has gotten off to a solid start at Gulfstream's Championship Meet with two wins on Friday's opening day program and two more Wednesday, will seek his first stakes win of the winter session aboard Mark Breen's Endorsed in Saturday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up that will be the first of 37 graded-stakes on the Gulfstream's $14.26 million stakes schedule.

Endorsed, who was claimed for $100,000 out of a third-place finish in an Aug. 26 optional claiming allowance at Saratoga, has been winless in three starts for trainer Mike Maker, finishing third in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes, fourth in the Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland and a close third in an optional claiming allowance at Churchill while being ridden by Gaffalione for the first time.

“Since Mike took over his training, he's really coming into his own. He's had three big performances in his last three races against top-quality horses,” Gaffalione said. “It seems like he leaves himself with too much to do. I'm hoping the extra difference will help him out and he gets a clean trip.”

The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro is graded stakes-placed and has run respectably in a few Grade 1 stakes, but he is still seeking to win his first stakes in a steady 23-race career.

Albaugh Family Stables LLC's Dennis' Moment enters the Mr. Prospector coming off his first win since capturing the 2019 Iroquois at Churchill Downs. The Dale Romans-trained son of Tiznow captured a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance at Keeneland.

Corey Lanerie has the call aboard Dennis' Moment.

Drain the Clock was nominated to the Mr. Prospector, but trainer Saffie Joseph has opted to run the Grade 1 winner in a Friday optional claiming allowance off a layoff and run Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change and Vegso Racing Stable's Officiating in Saturday's stakes.

Wind of Change, who won the ungraded Mr. Prospector at Monmouth in May, is coming off a second-place finish in an optional claiming allowance in his first start on Gulfstream's Tapeta course.

“I thought he handled it well. Obviously, going in there was a bit of unknown because he had never been on it. Overall, I thought it was a good race,” Joseph said. “The horse that beat him [King of Dreams] came back and won a stake. A good horse beat him.”

Joseph expects Wind of Change to be a forward factor in the Mr. Prospector.

“His best style of running is on lead, so we're trying, hopefully, to go to the lead,” he said.

Edgard Zayas has the mount aboard the Brazilian-bred 6-year-old.

Officiating, who made a strong middle move on Tapeta before fading in the Showing Up, won the off-the-turf Bear's Den at seven furlongs over a sloppy track in his previous start.

“He's kind of a weird kind of horse. We've only had him for four starts, and he's trained really well on the dirt. We only ran him once on dirt, and it was on the slop, and he handled it well. He won a stake,” Joseph said. “His previous races on dry dirt, he's never hit the board. It's kind of an experiment. He's training so well on the dirt. I want to give him one try.”

Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Officiating for the first time.

Calumet Farm's Flap Jack, Russell Staggs' Doc Amster and Stonehedge LLC's Poppy's Pride round out the field.

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‘Optimistic That He’ll Continue To Stretch Out’: Pletcher Aims Life Is Good At Pegasus World Cup

A year after adding the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) to his Hall of Fame resume, trainer Todd Pletcher is targeting the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for his next conquest during the upcoming 2021-2022 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park.

The Pegasus World Cup and the Pegasus World Cup Turf will co-headline a program with seven graded stakes Jan. 29 during Gulfstream's annual celebration of World Class Thoroughbred racing, entertainment, fashion and dining. The Championship Meet will get underway Friday and run through April 3.

Pletcher, the defending 18-time Championship Meet titlist, is preparing Life Is Good for a start in the Pegasus World Cup, as well as planning for a defense of the Pegasus World Cup Turf by Colonel Liam.

Life Is Good is fresh off a dazzling front-running victory in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar by 5 ¾ lengths

“He's an extremely impressive horse to watch train. What everybody saw in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is what we've grown accustomed to seeing in his training,” Pletcher said.

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's 3-year-old son of Into Mischief is on course for a clash with Pegasus World Cup defending champion Knicks Go, who captured the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in front-running style by 2 ¾ lengths over Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Medina Spirit.

Life Is Good has set the pace in all six of his career starts, including his first three races that included dominating victories over Medina Spirit in the Sham (G3) and San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita for former trainer Bob Baffert. The Kentucky-bred colt, who was sidelined with an unspecified injury, came up a neck short of holding off Jackie's Warrior in his first start for Pletcher in the seven-furlong H Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga off a 5 ½-month layoff. He came back to score a 5 ½-length victory in the one-turn mile Kelso before carrying his speed around two turns in the Dirt Mile.

“He's got a lot of brilliance. He's got speed and the ability to carry it over a route of ground. He's just a very, very talented, impressive horse,” said Pletcher, whose best finisher in the Pegasus World Cup thus far was 2017 third-place finisher Neolithic. “We're optimistic that he'll continue to stretch out. He certainly trains like a horse that wants to go further. We're excited about getting him back for next year.”

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam surged from off the pace to defeat Pletcher-trained Largent by a neck in last year's Pegasus World Cup Turf, which the son of Liam's Map used as a springboard for victories in the Muniz Memorial (G2) and Churchill Downs' Turf Classic (G1). He has been idle since finishing off the board in the Manhattan at Belmont in June.

“He's at Palm Beach Downs now and training really well. We're looking forward to having him defend his Pegasus World Cup Turf title,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully, everything goes smoothly. He's doing well at the moment.”

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Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Sunday that Noble Damsel (G3) winner Shifty She will prep for the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) in the Dec. 18 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream.

“She is going to run here on the 18th in the Grade 3,” said Joseph of the 5-year-old mare, owned and co-bred by Chris Pallas and co-owned by Harvey Rothenberg. “We're going to use that hopefully as a prep for the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf.”

“She came out of her last race really well. We gave her a little freshening. We thought about going straight to the Pegasus race, but there's too much time between races. We figured we'd get a race here and then go into it.”

“She's a gutsy horse with a will to win. Even if she doesn't win, she tries hard and always shows up.”

Earlier this year Shifty She won the Ginger Punch and Powder Break at Gulfstream. The daughter of Gone Astray has won six of 10 lifetime starts.

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‘When You Compete Against The Best It Makes You Better’: Uruguayan Star Aero Trem Targets Saudi Cup

South American superstar Aero Trem is on course to fly the flag for Uruguay in The Saudi Cup next year.

The winner of the Group 1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano, South America's most prestigious prize, has been shipped to Dubai to continue his preparation for the world's most valuable race.

It will be a remarkable achievement just to line up in the $20 million showpiece, set to be run as a Group 1 for the first time, at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The 6-year-old nearly died when struck down by a serious bout of colic after winning the first two legs of Uruguay's Triple Crown three years ago.

He has since developed into South America's best horse and his ambitious trainer Antonio Cintra is keen to test his stable star against some of the world's top performers.

Assistant trainer Julio Olascoaga is overseeing Aero Trem's preparation in Dubai and said: “Aero Trem arrived on Monday. He travelled for two days to get to Dubai. He went from Uruguay to Germany and from Germany to Dubai. Horses usually lose weight in transit but, for him, it was like nothing had happened.

“He's arrived in fantastic condition. I took some blood and that was amazing. He can take all these things very well. I'm very happy with him – he looks great. He will start training at the end of the week.

“We're just waiting for an invitation to The Saudi Cup and then we'll work towards that. He's very highly-rated so I don't think he will have a problem getting in.”

Aero Trem won Uruguay's most important race over 1600m (one mile), the Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua at Maronas, for the second successive year in January before landing the Gran Premio Latinoamericano in October.

It was only the second time in 38 years that a horse trained in Uruguay had landed South America's greatest race, run this year at Maronas.

The field contained the best horses from across the continent and Aero Trem was successful in course-record time. He led home a one-two for Brazilian Cintra – four-times Champion Trainer in Uruguay – with Atletico El Culano finishing runner-up in the 2000m (1 1/4-mile) dirt-track contest.

The victory came less than three years after Aero Trem had come dangerously close to losing his life to colic.

Olascoaga explained: “He had huge surgery and it was amazing work from the vets. He lost 150kg and it took a lot of time for him to recover.

“He's a horse that impresses you – when you think he might get beaten he just appears. In the Group 1s he has the extra power, he's amazing.

“Antonio has a dream to get his horses into the biggest races so we're working towards The Saudi Cup. It's a dream, a dream that might come true. It's unbelievable where this horse can take us.

“It's not just important for us – it's important for Uruguay and South America. We are testing how far we can go and how good the horses are. It's about measuring our horses on the world stage to see where we are.

“When you compete against the best it makes you better. If you're always competing at the same level you will never improve. If you raise the bar you have to push yourself to be better.

“That's even more important than the prize money. Money is important but it's not everything.

“We've never been to Saudi but we've heard about the track from people we know. They say the track will suit the Uruguayan horses much better than Dubai as it has a longer straight. The Uruguayan tracks generally have long straights so it's pretty similar.

“A fast pace will suit him, the distance will suit him, the track will suit him.”

Big-race jockey Vagner Leal, a Brazilian based in Uruguay, is expected to arrive in Dubai later this week. He will help with the preparation of Cintra's team and will take the ride on Aero Trem, who races in the colors of Brazilian owners Haras Old Friends, if he makes it in to The Saudi Cup field.

The trainer's horses based in Dubai include last year's Uruguay Derby hero El Patriota, a winner in Dubai in February, and talented 3-year-old Perfect Love. They will both be entered in the Saudi International Handicap run on the opening day of The Saudi Cup meeting on Friday, Feb. 25.

The Uruguayan runners at the glittering Saudi Cup meeting will have at least one famous supporter. Manchester United footballer Edison Cavani owns horses trained by Cintra and he has been keeping a close eye on the progress of the potential Saudi raiders.

Olascoaga added: “He's a very nice guy. He came to play for Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier and he came straight from the airport to the races. Everyone was going crazy.

“He loves horses and he's supportive of racing. It's very good for the industry, he brings the fans in.”

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