Maryland freshman sire Cal Nation gets first winner

Maryland-based freshman sire Cal Nation was represented by his first winner on June 5 when Parade of Nations won a $40,000 maiden-claiming race at Pimlico when making his first start. The juvenile gelding won by 2 1/4 lengths over another son of Cal Nation, Earned It, while taking the 5-furlong event in the final time of 1:00.36. Out of the Leading the Parade mare Parade of Colors, Parade of Nations is a Maryland homebred for John E. Williamson III and is trained by Bernard Houghton.

By Distorted Humor out of She’s a Winner, by A.P. Indy, Cal Nation was a stakes-placed homebred runner for WinStar Farm while trained by Todd Pletcher. She’s a Winner, a sister to stakes winners Girolamo, Daydreaming, and Accelerator, is the dam of Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes winner and sire Bluegrass Cat, as well as stakes winners Lord of the Game, Dramedy, and Sonoma Cat. It’s the immediate family of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.

Cal Nation was unraced at two and won his debut at 3 at Gulfstream Park in February, taking the 7-furlong maiden race by 7 3/4 lengths. That summer, he was third in the Grade 2 Carry Back Stakes at Calder and second in the Select Stakes at Monmouth. He made seven starts at 3 and two starts at 4 and retired with three wins in 9 starts and earnings of $127,884.

Cal Nation stands at Country Life Farm in Fallston, Md., for a fee of $2,500. He has had four runner from his first crop of 24 foals. He has 11 foals in his second crop.