Nadal (BLAME) remained undefeated with his Arkansas Derby (G1) romp at Oaklawn Park, further cementing his place in the Kentucky Derby (G1) starting gate on the rescheduled date of September 5th of this year.
BLAME’s newest Grade 1 winner and millionaire, Nadal sat off the pacesetter – fellow graded stakes winner Wells Bayou – and put him away turning for home, spoiling the late runs by King Guillermo and Finnick the Fierce to win by three lengths in a final time of 1:48.34 for the mile and an eighth. As Bob Baffert’s second undefeated Arkansas Derby (G1) winner of the day, Nadal bested his stablemate Charlatan’s final time of 1:48.49.
Now leading with 150 Kentucky Derby points and a sure spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in September, Nadal sits as the authority over the other Kentucky Derby hopefuls.
Nadal was a $700,000 2-year-old purchase by Kerri Radcliffe from the Randy Bradshaw consignment at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Two-year-olds in Training Sale. He was bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm out of the Pulpit mare Ascending Angel.
BLAME has now sired five Grade 1 stakes winners, and has over $29 million in progeny earnings.