2020 Eclipse Awards: Nadal
His career encompassed four starts in less than four months, and was over before the end of May, but Nadal made such a strong impression in that brief time that he is a finalist in the 3-year-old male division along with two Triple Crown race winners, having compiled a perfect record, including three graded stakes wins, one a Grade 1.
Named for the top tennis player Rafael Nadal, he was favored in every start, and aced every test for trainer Bob Baffert. Highly regarded before he made his debut on Jan. 19, Nadal led from start to finish against maidens at Santa Anita, rolling to a 3 3/4-length victory while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 98, immediately putting him on the short list of top contenders for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, at the time scheduled for May 2.
In an attempt to keep him on schedule for a potential Derby berth, Nadal was brought back three weeks later and won the Grade 2 San Vicente going seven furlongs, the narrow three-quarter-length margin of victory an illusion, as Nadal was trained lightly between starts since he was coming back on relatively short rest. Joel Rosario rode him for the first time that day and would be his regular rider the remainder of his career.
Nadal was then sent to Oaklawn Park for the Grade 2 Rebel, and turned in what might have been his best performance. Hounded through a torrid early pace of 22.98 seconds for the quarter and 46 flat for the half-mile in the 1 1/16-mile race, Nadal shook off his early pace rivals, including the high-quality sprinter No Parole, and then held safe the late runners. Underscoring the quality of his race is that No Parole finished 49 lengths in arrears, while the other prominent pace challenger, American Theorem, was beaten more than 27 lengths.
:: Full list of 2020 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories
With the pandemic having by then forced postponement of the Derby to September, the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby was slotted for May 2. Nadal won a derby on the first Saturday in May, capturing a division of the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby by three lengths over King Guillermo, who was coming off a runaway victory in the Tampa Bay Derby. Louisiana Derby winner Wells Bayou and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old male of 2019, also were among the vanquished.
Unfortunately, that was the Nadal’s last start. Later that month, Nadal suffered a leg fracture that was repairable but ended his racing career.
Nadal, a colt by Blame out of the Pulpit mare Ascending Angel, was bred by Sierra Farm and purchased as a 2-year-old in training for $700,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale by bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe on behalf of an ownership group that included George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman, and Mark Mathiesen. Nadal is now in Japan at Shadai Stallion Station, awaiting the start of the breeding season next month.