Nadal Scores Big in San Vicente at Santa Anita
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Nadal wins the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Just 21 days after breaking his maiden on debut, 3-year-old Nadal made a triumphant return to the Santa Anita Park dirt Feb. 9 with a strong victory in the $200,500 San Vicente Stakes (G2).
Guided by Joel Rosario, Nadal broke well from post 4 and showed off his early speed, dueling between front runners Ginobili and Party Town before edging Party Town to settle in second on the rail. Ginobili, who took the lead four-wide from the break, set fast fractions of :21.81 and :44.09 through the half-mile pressed all the while by Nadal racing just off the rail a head behind the leader.
Battling along the rail off the turn and into the top of the stretch, Nadal and Ginobili, guided by Abel Cedillo, pressed the pace even faster before Nadal began to inch forward step by step, drawing on even terms with Ginobili at the sixteenth pole. Urged forward by Rosario, Nadal got his head in front in mid stretch and then dug deeper as the two stormed toward the wire. Ginobili fought hard in an attempt to beat back Nadal before the wire but failed, falling three-quarters of a length short at the wire to his competitor.
The final time for the seven-furlong sprint was 1:22.59 on a fast track.
"He broke sharp and he handled the pressure from the outside," said Rosario. "I was never worried about it. My horse was moving very well and I was confident because I could feel I had a lot of horse under me. He was very impressive. He ran very fast today and he runs like he'll like two turns, but you never know until they do it."
Ginobili held for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Fast Enough in third. TVG Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Storm the Court never fired and finished fourth ahead of Ra'ad and Party Town to complete the order of finish.
"Today, I told Joel, don't get cute, just go. We can rate him some other day," said Bob Baffert, who trains Nadal on behalf of George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman, and Mark Mathiesen. "They took it to him, but if we're gonna get beat, get beat. I trained him light for this, so this is my serious work. ... I thought he was gonna get beat. He got to gut it out today, so he's got a good foundation now. This should set him up pretty good and I think we'll go to the Rebel (G2, March 14 at Oaklawn Park)."
Co-owner George Bolton congratulates jockey Joel Rosario after Nadal took the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita
Bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm, Nadal is the second foal out of the Pulpit mare Ascending Angel. The son of Blame was purchased by bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe for $700,000 from the consignment of Randy Bradshaw to The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select sale of 2-year-olds in training.
"I actually found out about Nadal through Kerri Radcliffe who bought the colt for us at the Fasig-Tipton March sale a year ago," said owner Bolton. "I think she bought a great horse for us and we hope Nadal is as proud of us as we are extremely proud of him today. It is a huge step up and when you go to the paddock and you're 1-9, you are thinking of all the downside in the world. There were some nice looking horses in the paddock, the 6 (Ginobili) looked fast and was fast. He really had to go the whole way and never got a breather. Going further (in distance) should be fun for Nadal.
"This horse looks like it could be a special horse. You just want him to be happy and hold together. He will be on the road now. He'll be on different surfaces and he's going to go a different distance yet again, so he will go maybe go to the Rebel. I'm proud we got that chance. I'm extremely happy about everything that has happened here."
Nadal has earned $153,000 from his first two starts.