Nadal Seeks Another Ace in Rebel

The marriage of horse racing and tennis has involved some forehand smashes and quite a few foot faults.

Back in 1974, owner Carl Rosen and trainer Joe Trovato campaigned the champion 3-year-old filly who proudly raced under the name of Chris Evert, the 18-time Grand Slam tournament winner.

About 10 years later, owner Peter Brant gave a son of Key to the Mint the name of Ivan Lendl, a three-time U.S. Open winner, but that turned out to be a lob into the net as the horse never advanced out of the allowance ranks.

Federer, in a tip of the hat to Roger Federer, the famed 20-time Grand Slam winner, has been used twice in recent years in the United States and combined for a 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 loss.

Since 2000, North America has produced two horses named Federer. The first, who, quite fittingly, was a son of Grand Slam, was fourth in the 2005 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) but only won two of 21 starts with earnings of $47,564.

The next incarnation of Federer here in the U.S. was a son of Medaglia d'Oro  who was born in 2015 and has never raced.

The latest name on this list of tennis legends is a 3-year-old colt named Nadal, who bears the same name as 19-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and is pretty much in between Chris Evert and Ivan Lendl but definitely trending in the direction of Ms. Evert.

The second U.S.-bred horse named Nadal since 2000, this one is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Bob Baffert, including a win in the Feb. 9 San Vicente Stakes (G2).

A son of Blame  who sold for $700,000 as a 2-year-old, Nadal will try to serve up another ace for owners George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman, and Mark Mathiesen when he faces seven 3-year-old rivals in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 14 at Oaklawn Park.

While the previous North American Nadal, again a son of Grand Slam, won just a single 2010 race in nine starts, the newest one can make it game, set, and match for a spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) by taking the Rebel.

With the Rebel worth a total of 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers, the winner will get 50, and that has historically been enough to run in the opening leg of the Triple Crown.

"He's a big, strong horse, and we believe he'll handle the shipping (from California) well, and we'll have a better idea of what we have after this race," said Baffert, who has won the Rebel six times, including in 2015 with Triple Crown champion American Pharaoh. "We're at the time of year where you get excited and you want the party to go on."

Nadal and jockey Joel Rosario drew the rail, which should enhance the 3-year-old's early speed. In the seven-furlong San Vicente at Santa Anita Park, Nadal was a head off the lead after a :44.09 opening half-mile and covered the distance in 1:22.59 while winning by three-quarters of a length.

Though Nadal will be navigating two turns for the first time Saturday, the early fractions figure to be considerably slower in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel.

"It's two turns, so he has to get away clean and get around there," Baffert said. "I just hope that when they turn for home, he will keep on going. That's all I can ask for."

Bred by Sierra Farm out of the Pulpit mare Ascending Angel, Nadal is the first winner from his dam's two foals to race. He was sold to Randy Bradshaw, agent, for a modest $65,000 from his breeder's consignment at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

But he turned heads in 2019 at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select 2-year-olds in training sale, when Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock signed the ticket for him from Bradshaw's consignment.

"He's a different kind of horse because he's powerful," Baffert said. "When he walks in, he looks like a fullback. I remember him as a 2-year-old, and why he cost so much is because he worked so fast and you look at him and say, 'How can a guy that big go that fast?' He also had the pedigree to match."

Continuing the sports angle in the field of eight 3-year-olds is Three Technique from the August Dawn Farm of Hall of Fame NFL coach Bill Parcells.

After Three Technique's runner-up finish in the Jan. 24 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn on a muddy track, a decision had to be made about the son of Mr Speaker 's next start. The options, both at Oaklawn, were the Feb. 17 Southwest Stakes (G3) or wait for the Rebel.

Parcells chose the Rebel, and trainer Jeremiah Englehart was not about to argue with a two-time Super Bowl winner.

"The Arkansas Derby (G1) will probably be next if he runs well, and we thought trying to make all of the Oaklawn races and then the Kentucky Derby didn't make sense," Englehart said. "We're trying to map out the best plan for him."

Before the Smarty Jones, when he finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Gold Street, Three Technique rebounded from runner-up finishes in his first two starts to win New York maiden and allowance optional claiming races by a combined 10 lengths.

"He's come into the race well, and everything is going according to plan," Englehart said. "So far, so good. He continues to impress me."

Bred by Omega Farm out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Nite in Rome, Three Technique went to Parcells for $180,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky select yearling sale, in 2018. 

He was originally sold by Garrencasey Sales for $50,000 to Spin to Win Stables at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. 

Three Technique and jockey Luis Saez landed post 6.

Both Nadal and Three Technique will face a formidable challenge from a three-ply entry from trainer Steve Asmussen, as well as the undefeated No Parole.

Asmussen's trio is headed by Ed and Susie Orr's Silver Prospector, a Declaration of War colt who took the Southwest by a length. The Rebel will also mark the 3-year-old debut of Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner Basin. The son of Liam's Map  has not started since posting a 6 1/2-length win in the Sept. 2 race. Rounding out the trio is Calumet Farm's Union Rags  3-year-old Excession, who was eighth in a division of last month's Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2).

Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin's No Parole will face an acid test in the Rebel. The son of Violence  is unbeaten after winning three starts against Louisiana-breds by a combined 34 lengths for trainer Tom Amoss.

Also entered are Kretz Racing's American Theorem, a son of American Pharoah who has not raced since finishing a distant second in the Sept. 27 American Pharoah Stakes (G1), and Rigney Racing's Coach Bahe, a Take Charge Indy  colt coming off a maiden win at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Entries: Rebel S. (G2)

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 14, 2020, Race 10

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo
• 5:23 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Nadal (KY)	Joel Rosario	117	Bob Baffert	5/2
2	2Excession (KY)	Tyler Baze	117	Steven M. Asmussen	30/1
3	3Basin (KY)	Javier Castellano	117	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
4	4Silver Prospector (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	7/2
5	5No Parole (LA)	Joseph Talamo	122	Thomas M. Amoss	8/1
6	6Three Technique (KY)	Luis Saez	117	Jeremiah C. Englehart	7/2
7	7Coach Bahe (KY)	Santo Sanjur	117	Philip A. Bauer	30/1
8	8American Theorem (KY)	Tiago Josue Pereira	117	George Papaprodromou	6/1