Nashville breaks Keeneland track record in Perryville romp

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The connections of the brilliant but lightly-raced Nashville chose to take the conservative route with their colt this week – luckily for the entrants in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Nashville was pre-entered in both the Sprint and the Dirt Mile after winning both his starts by open lengths, but instead made his stakes debut in the $125,000 Perryville Stakes against his fellow 3-year-olds on the undercard. He rolled by 3 1/2 lengths with jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. like a statue in the irons, and despite being under no pressure, finished the six furlongs in a track-record 1:07.89.

Nashville, who races for WinStar Farm and China Horse Club and trainer Steve Asmussen, has now won all three of his career starts by open lengths. The Speightstown colt made his debut Sept. 2 at Saratoga and rolled by 11 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track. He then won a Keeneland allowance on Oct. 10 by 9 3/4 lengths, leading to considerations of the Breeders' Cup.

"I think, what a rare and unique talent he is, and we’re doing all we can to keep it around," Asmussen said of cultivating the colt.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

In the Perryville, Nashville ($2.20), who was sent away as the heavy favorite, broke like a shot from the rail in the field of seven. He had opened a two-length lead through the first quarter in a wicked 21.54 seconds on a main track rated fast. He continued to widen his advantage around the single turn and took a six-length lead into the stretch through a half-mile in 43.87. Although Wild Wes ate into the margin as Nashville was not asked in the final stages, Nashville continued to easily hold sway en route to his final margin and track record.

The previous track mark was 1:08.43, established by the older by A. P. Indian winning the Grade 2 Phoenix Stakes in October 2016.

After Wild Wes in second came Little Menace, another 3 3/4 lengths back in third.

Sleepy Eyes Todd wins spill marred Lafayette

Sleepy Eyes Todd ($10) continued a solid and well-traveled season by rallying to win the $125,000 Lafayette Stakes for older sprinters over True Timber.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Sleepy Eyes Todd was a minor stakes winner at Fonner Park early this season and was second in the Lone Star Mile in Texas. After winning the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic by 7 1/2 lengths in August in West Virginia, he stepped far up in class for the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes in September at Santa Anita, finishing fifth behind Breeders' Cup Classic favorite Improbable. He found softer competition and shone again Saturday.

Sleepy Eyes Todd is trained by Miguel Angel Silva for Thumbs Up Racing LLC.

The race was marred by a spill in the stretch, as Absolutely Aiden was injured and threw jockey Chris Landeros to the track, with a chain reaction also causing Dinar to lose jockey Tyler Gaffalione and Strike That to lose jockey David Cohen. The latter two horses walked off, with Gaffalione, who has several Breeders' Cup mounts, cleared to continue riding, according to Terry Meyocks, national manager for The Jockeys’ Guild. Landeros and Cohen both were expected to be body-sore, but had no major injuries after being evaluated at the track.

According to a statement later released by the track, Absolutely Aiden was found to have suffered a disarticulation of his left front fetlock, and the extent of the injury determined that he be euthanized. Absolutely Aiden, a 4-year-old Stay Thirsty colt, had won the Good Lord Stakes over the summer at Ellis Park for Wesley Hawley, who co-owned him with Greg Frye.

Merneith takes Fort Spring Stakes

Merneith wore down Motivated Seller to kick off the day for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Luis Saez in the $125,000 Fort Springs Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters.

Merneith ($11.20), an American Pharoah filly whose only previous stakes try came when she was third in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks around two turns, rallied three wide in the lane with Rising Seas battling on the rail and unbeaten Motivated Seller striking the lead in the middle. Merneith prevailed in the final stages as Rising Seas faded.