Photo: Lesley Warwick
Undefeated Kentucky Derby hopeful Nadal (Blame) has created a lot of excitement in the U.S.A. where he has won his three starts to date including the Gr.2 San Vincente Stakes and the Gr.2 Rebel Stakes (a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race).
Currently in seventh position on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 50 points, and with a TimeFormUS racing of 120, Nadal has been described as abundantly talented and among the best three-year-olds of his generation.
“We were hoping for that outcome,” his Hall of Famer and five-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert said following his Rebel Stakes victory.
“We knew he was a good horse, but until they go two turns … and then the way it set up, the speed duel and all.
“Pretty impressive when they can just keep going like that. Only the really good ones can do that.”
Bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm, Nadal is by 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame (Arch), who features in the Pedigree of Highview-based stallion Wrote.
Wrote’s fourth dam is the blue hen mare Special (Forli), in fact he carries a double up of Special being by High Chaparral.
Special produced nine foals to race all winners including champion sires Nureyev (Northern Dancer) and Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) and Bound (Nijinsky) dam of Liable (Seeking the Gold), who is the dam of Blame and subsequently the 2010 USA Broodmare of the Year.
What’s more, in addition to Blame, Liable produced five winners including Gonna, who is the dam of Wrote’s Stakes performed son High Providence.
Nadal’s next stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is likely to be the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on May 2 – ironically, on the day the 146th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve was to be run before being rescheduled to Saturday, September 5th amid public health concerns in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
