Nashville returns from long layoff in deep allowance

Nashville could be sitting on a significant year when the calendar turns in a few weeks. His initial step in that direction comes Friday at Oaklawn Park.

Nashville will make his first start since December 2020 in the eighth race, a conditioned allowance for 3-year-olds and up over 5 1/2 furlongs. He faces six others, including fellow stakes winners Mr. Jagermeister, Home Base, Firecrow, and Hollis.

Nashville is a winner of 3 of 4 career starts for China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. He showed brilliance on the Breeders’ Cup Saturday undercard in 2020, when he won the $125,000 Perryville over six furlongs in 1:07.89. One start following the Keeneland race, Nashville was fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita.

“We’re excited to get him back and look forward to running him,” said Elliott Walden, the president, chief executive officer, and racing manager for WinStar Farm. “It’s been a long road, been right at a year since he started. We took a little chip out of his ankle after the Malibu, then he had a couple of minor setbacks along the way. He’s trained well. We’re hoping to see if he’s the same Nashville.”

Nashville won his debut in a maiden special weight over 6 1/2 furlongs in September 2020 at Saratoga. He rolled by 11 1/2 lengths. One start later, the Steve Asmussen trainee was a 9 3/4-length winner of an entry-level allowance at Keeneland. From there, Nashville proceeded to win the Perryville by 3 1/2 lengths.

“He’s so fast and he’s extremely talented,” Walden said. “He just did amazing things in his workouts and in his races. To run 1:14 and change at Saratoga in his first start was something. When you look back over time at a historic racetrack like that, it’s something you don’t see too many do. And then he ran 1:07 and change in the Perryville at Keeneland.

“We debated whether to run in the Breeders’ Cup that day because of his extreme talent, but it just seemed like the right thing to do was to not be that aggressive in his third start. We decided to go in the Perryville.”

Nashville is a son of Speightstown and the Mizzen Mast mare Veronique. He was a $460,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland in September 2018.

“He was just extremely well-balanced, and he had a great hindquarter,” Walden said. “I liked the pedigree, the fact that he’s closely related to a good filly, Calistoga, who I had a high regard for. Bill Mott trained her. They come from the family of Giacomo. And we loved he was a Speightstown, as a sire of sires.”

Nashville, a 4-year-old colt, will break from the rail under Florent Geroux. He figures to be a strong favorite because of his class and quickness, but he will be facing other speed to his outside. Nashville also will be giving up a great deal of recency to each of his rivals. The variables are ones that will have to be debated by horseplayers.

“I think that’s why they load them up and put them in the gate,” Walden said. “We’re very optimistic about his future. We feel like he’s training well. Steve’s happy with him. We’ll find out Friday.”