Multiple graded stakes-placed Nash, who is looking to work his way back to that level for the powerhouse Godolphin operation and trainer Brad Cox, has improved his Beyer Speed Figure in each of three starts this year off a long layoff. Last time out, he had the bad luck of hooking World Record, one of several graded stakes winners in a strong allowance field last month at Churchill Downs. He pressed that rival and had his bid turned back by 2 1/2 lengths, with World Record missing the track mark by 0.29 of a second.
There’s nothing quite as scary in this field as Nash returns on Friday the 13th in a $141,000 third-level allowance race with a $100,000 claiming option for older horses. He may get to turn his luck around as the race shape also could work for him.
Nash led throughout in a dazzling maiden score more than a year and a half ago that put him on the national radar. He is still sharp but has learned to settle just off the leaders with a little more maturity. That’s good news as there is plenty of speed in this field, led by Harrodsburg, coming off a local win. Major Blue, stepping up in class from straight claiming races, and stakes winner Doncho, who should be sharper in his own second start off a long layoff, have the ability to either lead or press. Red State is coming off a game win at Oaklawn in which he pressed the pace and was all out to win by a neck.
Nash’s scariest competition might come from his own stablemate Discreet Mischief, trained by Cox for Sumaya U S Stables. The colt, who has won both his starts this year, will likely be just behind Nash in the early going. Last time out, he raced in fourth, made a wide bid, and finished with good energy to take a Keeneland allowance by 7 1/2 lengths.
Rounding out the field is Gold Luck, a multi-time winner at Churchill Downs who is in for the tag – and perhaps a live longshot who had the bad luck of catching incredibly salty fields recently. After coming out of two key stakes at Oaklawn Park, won by Banishing and Booth and with a host of next-out winners emerging from the fields, he finished an even fourth in a solid allowance race with a number of stakes horses May 16 at Churchill Downs. Durante, third in that race, has already emerged to win the Grade 3 Aristides at Churchill, defeating World Record.
Friday’s nine-race card also includes a 1 1/16-mile second-level allowance for fillies and mares on the main track, with a purse of $134,000, in which graded stakes winner Lemon Muffin, a solid winner at this level in May, drops back in class after finishing fifth in stakes company at Pimlico. There also is a 1 1/2-mile entry-level turf allowance for older horses with a purse of $127,000.
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