Baffert’s favorite edges long shot at empty Oaklawn
HOT SPRINGS — The only crowd at Oaklawn was provided by horses on or near the lead in the feature race.
Nadal, from the California barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, won the Grade II, $1 million Rebel Stakes for 3-year-old Kentucky Derby hopefuls in 1:44.97 before a crowd of zero at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort on Saturday.
As of Friday, Oaklawn closed its racing facility to fans in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Only track employees, security and medical personnel, racing officials, horsemen and media representatives were allowed on the racing grounds and in the grandstands.
Various infirmities kept Nadal from the races as a 2-year-old, but his win in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel ran his career and 3-year-old record to 3 3-0-0. He opened his 3-yearold season with a 61/2-furlong maiden win in 1:15.82 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on Jan. 19. He followed with a win in Santa Anita’s Grade II, 7-furlong San Vicente Stakes in 1:22.59 on Feb. 9.
Nadal’s co-owner George Bolton, who runs a San Francisco-based investment firm, said he wasn’t surprised by the rapidity of Nadal’s rise.
“Good horses can catch up,” Bolton said. “Good horses, you know, can have things go wrong and still end up winning, and bad horses — and we’ve owned a lot of bad horses — it seems like it’s hard to win ever, but this horse is special.”
Nadal, the 4-5 favorite named after Spanish professional tennis star Rafael Nadal, won by three-fourths of a length over 82-1 shot Excession, who finished 7 lengths in front of Basin, a son of Liam’s Map from Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn. Three Technique was a head back in fourth, 73/4 lengths behind the winner.
The Rebel was Nadal’s first two-turn effort and his first race beyond 7 furlongs.
Nadal, a son of Blame and maternal grandson of Pulpit, was third out of the gate but led by a head over American Theorem, by 2015 Rebel and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, through the opening quarter-mile in 22.89. American Theorem was a head in front of No Parole, with Excession a half-length back in fourth.
“We were hoping for that outcome,” said Baffert, who has trained the winner of seven Rebels. “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. I was just fortunate that [Oaklawn] even ran the race, right now the way things are. Crazy.”
The Rebel offered 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, with 50, 20, 10 and 5 going to first through fourth, respectively. Nadal’s 50 for his win moves him into third place on the worldwide qualifying list. Silver Prospector, who finished sixth in the Rebel, is 12th with 21; Excession 13th with 20; and Three Technique 33rd with nine.
The Derby field is limited to the top 20 point-earners entered.
Nadal’s lead remained a head in front of American Theorem through the half in 46.00, and three-quarters in 1:11.38. He led by 11/2 lengths at the head of the stretch, but long-shot Excession — a son of Union Rags ridden by Tyler Baze — had moved into second. Three Technique, trained by Jeremiah Englehart, was third, 31/2 lengths back, with Basin fourth, a half-length behind Three Technique.
American Theorem finished seventh in the field of eight, 213/4 lengths behind the winner. Englehart said he liked Three Technique’s shot as he turned for home under jockey Luis Saez.
“It looked like we had a pretty good spot, but Nadal ran a great race,” Englehart said. “To continue to do what he did after that half, that was a big race. I told Luis I might like to run a little further back, but I don’t know if that’s really where you wanted to be today. You know, we’ll see how he comes out of the race and see where we go from there.”
Excession gained on Nadal throughout the stretch.
“He’s a really nice horse,” Baze said. “I had the trip I wanted.”
Baffert said the Grade I Arkansas Derby, scheduled for April 11, is among Nadal’s future options.
“It’s a little early, but we’ll get him back here, and we’ll look at all of them,” Baffert said. “One of them will be [the Arkansas Derby].”
Odd as racing is without fans in attendance, Bolton said it presents the sport a chance to market itself.
“I think it’s a huge opportunity that our content is going to be out there,” Bolton said. “It’s better and better on TV. It’s a great product because it’s over quickly. Two minutes and you’ve either won or lost. Turn your phone off and move on.”
For now, college sports and other professional sports are on hold.
“It’s one of the few sports on TV that still has content,” Bolton said. “If I ran a horse track, or I ran a betting account like Xpressbet, TVG, NYRA Bets, I would be marketing to get everybody who only watches the Kentucky Derby to set up betting accounts to have fun with horse racing for the next two months on the way to the Derby.”