Hard-hitting Nimitz Class leads Ballezzi Mile

Nimitz Class is as tough and hearty as his namesake, a class of aircraft carriers used by the U.S. Navy.

The 4-year-old colt has won seven of his last 11 starts over the last 368 days and looks to add to that formidable record when he squares off against a good field of milers in Tuesday’s $75,000 M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile at Parx Racing.

Over the past year, the Munnings colt has won four stakes at Laurel and placed in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth, but his biggest achievement came last month at Parx when he downed multiple Grade 1 winner Gunite in the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile.

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In that race, contested over a sealed, sloppy track, Nimitz Class sat off the pace, angled outside, and ran past Gunite in upper stretch.

“I think, in the beginning, we didn’t have quite enough speed to keep up with those two sprinters,” owner-breeder Tom Coulter said after the race about pacesetters Gunite and third-place finisher Mish. “Once they got on the backside, he kept getting stronger. He was pulling the jockey to the front. He looked super.”

Trainer Brittany Russell counters with Doppelganger and Be Better. Doppelganger upset the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct in April and captured Delaware’s Battery Park on July 8. Most recently, the Into Mischief colt finished eighth of 10 in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.

“We’re just drawing a line through it,” Russell said. “Some horses, if it doesn’t go good at Charles Town, we’re not trying to overthink it. No part of that did he enjoy. I had a couple of races in mind that didn’t go. This race was sitting in front of us, and he’s sitting on go.”

Be Better, a late-developing son of Uncle Mo, bested Nimitz Class traveling nine furlongs in Laurel’s Deputed Testamony on July 29. He finished third as the beaten favorite in Pimlico’s Polynesian on Sept. 10, a race where he attempted to rally from last over good going.

“Looking back, he was making a run,” Russell said. “It was a little too much to do, and I think it was a tough track. No fault of his.”

Grade 3 winner Magic Michael should be tighter for this race after finishing an even fifth on Sept. 15 at Laurel. That race was his first start in almost a year for trainer Jamie Ness. A 6-year-old gelding by Dramedy, Magic Michael has won 9 of 11 dirt starts at Parx.

King Kumbalay enters in excellent form for Butch Reid after dominating the off-turf Alphabet Soup on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard. He finished a half-length behind Nimitz Class when third in the Storm Cat at Parx in his prior outing.

Stakes-placed Offaly Cool looms the controlling speed after just missing at odds-on in a high-level allowance last month. He earned a strong 95 Beyer Speed Figure that day.

No Sabe Nada, Dontmesawithme, No Salt, and Genghis also entered. They have combined for 34 victories.

People Force and Large are also-eligibles.

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