Nashville Sets Keeneland Track Record in Perryville
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Nashville wins the Perryville Stakes at Keeneland
WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Nashville made another strong impression Nov. 7 at Keeneland, setting a track record for six furlongs in 1:07.89 in the $125,000 Perryville Stakes.
The sophomore Speightstown colt is now 3-for-3 for trainer Steve Asmussen. He won on debut by 11 1/2 lengths racing 6 1/2 furlongs on a sloppy track at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 2, then won by 9 3/4 lengths racing six furlongs in an allowance at Keeneland Oct. 10. He was geared down after racing on the front end in both starts.
"I think, what a rare and unique talent he is, and we're doing all we can to keep it around," Asmussen said after the Perryville.
Connections thought enough of lightly raced Nashville to pre-enter him in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) later on the card but ultimately chose the Perryville for the colt's first stakes start.
Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., aboard for the previous Keeneland start, was back aboard Nashville on Saturday. The bay was bet down to 1-10 as the heavy favorite and was back on the front end. He opened by two lengths to run the first quarter-mile in :21.54, then had a six-length advantage as he ran a half-mile in :43.87.
Nashville was geared down by Santana as he crossed the wire first by 3 1/2 lengths. His final time on the fast track bested the previous record of 1:08.43 set by A. P. Indian in the 2016 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2).
The two longest shots on the board rounded out the trifecta. Wild Wes (28-1) chased the pace and got up for second, and Little Menace (30-1) rallied from sixth to finish third.
Nashville was bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm out of the Mizzen Mast mare Veronique. He is the first stakes winner for his dam, and Market Cap, his juvenile half brother by Candy Ride , is also a winner. Veronique, out of a full sister to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Giacomo, has a yearling Mastery colt and a weanling Mastery filly. She was reported bred this year to Collected .
Veronique and her weanling are both entered in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Veronique will sell with Paramount Sales as Hip 244D during Book 1, and the weanling will sell with Warrendale Sales as Hip 885. Nashville was entered in the sale as a racing or stallion prospect with the WinStar Racing consignment but has been scratched from the auction.
China Horse Club and Maverick Racing, the purchasing arm of WinStar, purchased Nashville for $460,000 from the Lane's End consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He has earned $157,200.