Nashville's First Foal is a Maryland-bred Filly

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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Nashville at WinStar Farm

WinStar Farm's Nashville  , a brilliantly fast son of Speightstown, sired his first reported foal when a filly was born on the morning of Jan. 8 at Murmur Farm in Maryland.

The precocious filly is produced from the stakes-winning Tapiture mare Why Not Tonight, who is out of a half sister to stakes-placed Tomica's Spirit and Enjoy the Show. The filly was bred by Wasabi Ventures Stables, Robert Angelo, Terry Schuck, and Greenspring Mares.

"She's a leggy, correct filly with plenty of quality, and we are ecstatic with her as the first foal out of Wasabi's first stakes winner," said George Adams of Housatonic Bloodstock. "We'll be breeding multiple mares back to Nashville this year."

Nashville set a six-furlong track record of 1:07.89 in the Perryville Stakes at Keeneland on Breeders' Cup Day in 2020. The final clocking was nearly a second faster than subsequent Eclipse champion sprinter Whitmore 's time of 1:08.61 in winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) that same afternoon.

Undefeated in the first three starts of his career for owners CHC and WinStar Farm, Nashville dominated his debut by 11 1/2 lengths at Saratoga Race Course while setting fractions of :21.50, :43.87, and 1:07.92 with a final time of 1:14.48 for 6 1/2 furlongs. He then recorded the fastest six-furlong time of the 2020 Keeneland Fall meeting with an eye-catching, 9 3/4-length allowance win in 1:09.10. 

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Nashville also displayed his world-class speed in capturing a six-furlong Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots allowance in 1:08.61, the fastest sprint of the 2021-22 winter meet and the fastest time at the distance in more than two years.

Out of the Mizzen Mast mare Veronique and hailing from the direct female family of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Giacomo and Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Tiago, Nashville was a $460,000 acquisition at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale.

"We are thrilled to receive the first live foal report for Nashville," said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. "He was extremely well received in his first season at stud in 2023 and he will be very busy again in 2024. With the recent loss of our beloved Speightstown, news of Nashville's first foal has brought plenty of smiles around WinStar."

Nashville bred 204 mares in his first season at stud in 2023, and his first in-foal mares sold up to $850,000. He stands for $15,000 S&N.