Gulfstream: Nathan's H Q to get going for Farro

Barbara D. Livingston

Nathan's H Q joined Patricia Farro's barn at the beginning of the year.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Patricia Farro had one talented stakes-caliber sprinter in her barn, Royal Currier, when the Gulfstream meet started. Now she has two after Nathan’s H Q was unexpectedly transferred into her stable by owner Thomas Carey shortly after the start of the new year.

Farro will finally have an opportunity to run Nathan’s H Q for the first time Friday at Gulfstream Park when he faces six rivals, including Arch Traveler and Tahitian Warrior, in the afternoon’s $60,000 main event. The 6 1/2-furlong dash will be decided under high-priced optional claiming conditions.

Nathan’s H Q won a similarly conditioned optional claiming race here to open his 2011 campaign when he was both trained and ridden by Clyde Martin. A son of Yonaguska, Nathan’s H Q then embarked on a steady diet of stakes races, knocking on the door but coming up just short on numerous occasions, including a troubled second-place finish in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap.

Nathan’s H Q returned to south Florida to close out the year in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector on Dec. 31 but turned in a disappointing effort, getting hung wide against the grain of an inside-biased track en route to a seventh- and last-place finish behind Apriority. Shortly thereafter, Nathan’s H Q had a new home.

“It was unexpected but certainly a great addition to our barn when he came over to us,” said Patricia Farro’s husband, Mike, who oversees the couple’s south Florida division. “He’s a big, strong horse and nice to be around, and you can just tell he’s got some quality. He’s training real well since we’ve got him, he worked a minute flat and galloped out in 1:13 and change last week for this race."

Rajiv Maragh rode Nathan’s H Q in the Fall Highweight and will be reunited with him once again on Friday.

“My only real concern would be if the track is still sloppy or muddy on Friday and he doesn’t handle an off track, although he seemed fine over the wet track in the Fall Highweight,” said Farro.

Arch Traveler, like Nathan’s H Q, has had good success in the past over the local strip having won back-to-back races here last winter at seven and nine furlongs. Those performances earned Arch Traveler a spot in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, but he could not keep pace with the likes of Dialed In and Shackleford, eventually fading to sixth after pressing the early issue.

Arch Traveler turned in arguably his finest performance six weeks later, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 97 capturing an overnight stakes at Belmont Park, but has not started since finishing fifth after getting involved in a suicidal pace battle in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last summer at Saratoga.

Tahitian Warrior was sold privately to Godolphin Racing after winning his career debut by nearly five lengths on opening day of the 2010 meeting and has shown flashes of brilliance ever since but never really lived up to expectations. Idle since finishing fifth of seven under allowance conditions at Saratoga on July 30, Tahitian Warrior will be making his first start for his new trainer Tom Albertrani on Friday.