Nadal conquers slop and two turns with gutsy Rebel victory

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Game. Set. Match.

Nadal cleared three important hurdles Saturday at Oaklawn Park when he won the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes. The undefeated colt won on a wet track for the first time. He won at two turns for the first time. And he picked up his first points for the Kentucky Derby.

Nadal also gave his trainer, Bob Baffert, an unprecedented seventh win in the Rebel.

The race was run before an empty grandstand and silent apron, with no ontrack spectators admitted to the races. The policy was put in place for the weekend as Oaklawn - and other tracks around the country - navigate the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions individual states are placing on gatherings like sporting events.

The ascetics were unique for a Rebel Day that last year drew an estimated crowd of 45,500. And the weather was unpredictable. It was an overcast afternoon and while the forecasted thunderstorms did remain at bay, the first two races were run under a band of fog. The track was listed as muddy to start the program, then downgraded to sloppy and the three stakes on the card were run under such conditions - with the Azeri won by Serengeti Empress and the Essex Handicap by Night Ops.

Nadal ($3.80) won by three-quarters of a length over a fast-closing Excession, while it was another seven lengths back in third to Basin. Three Technique was a head behind that one in fourth. The horses all earned Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

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Nadal set the pace in the mile and a sixteenth Rebel, pressured by American Theorem and No Parole through quick fractions of 22.89 seconds for the opening quarter and 46 for the half-mile. Nadal remained under pressure from American Theorem through six furlongs in 1:11.38, shook that rival, then held off 82-1 shot Excession.

“The first time going long today and he was very comfortable out there,” said winning rider Joel Rosario. “He relaxed. He enjoyed what he was doing, maintained his speed well.”

Nadal covered the distance in 1:44.97. The 1-2 exacta paid $78.20. He earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Baffert removed blinkers for the Rebel after Nadal won his debut in a maiden special weight sprint and the Grade 2 San Vicente over seven furlongs, both at Santa Anita. The colt is now 3 for 3 and the first-place check of $600,000 that he picked up Saturday improved his earnings to $753,000. He is a son of Blame who races for the partnership of George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman, and Mark Mathiesen.

Nadal now is tied for third on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard administered by Churchill Downs. He was making his first start in a points race Saturday.

Baffert’s winners in the Rebel have all come since 2010, starting with Lookin At Lucky. His other winners have been The Factor (2011), Secret Circle (2012), Hoppertunity (2014), American Pharoah (2015), and Cupid (2016). American Pharoah launched his season in the Rebel and went on to win the Triple Crown.

“We’ve won it with good horses,” Baffert said. “It’s an easy ship from California to Oaklawn, and that makes it better. But we’ve always taken very good horses.”

Plans for Nadal are to be determined. The next local Kentucky Derby prep at Oaklawn is the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11.

Oaklawn handled $10.1 million from all sources Saturday, according to figures supplied by the track. On the corresponding program a year ago, when there were two divisions of the Rebel, handle was an all-time track record $16.2 million.

Racing resumes here Sunday.