Nakatomi claims first Gr.1 in Vanderbilt
Qatar Racing and Mrs Fitri Hay’s Nakatomi, who met interference when 3rd in the Gr.1 Golden Shaheen at Meydan on his previous start, gained a breakthrough win at Gr.1 level in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap over 6f on dirt at Saratoga on Saturday.
Six horses lined up in the $350,000 Vanderbilt and Nakatomi came late to claim Skelly in the hands of Tyler Gaffalione at odds of 3.65. Skelly had opened up a 4-length advantage on the turn, but Nakatomi found plenty for pressure to win by 1½ lengths. The son of Firing Line is trained by Wesley Ward and matched his career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105.
Ward told the press: “Tyler knows the horse very well. He kind of learned a lot when he tried to go inside at Tampa. We were lucky he was fresh. The track is playing speed, but he broke so well and was a lot closer than he would have been had he been running all the time. Everything just came together today. It happens so rarely, especially in a Grade 1. But it happened today.”
“He’s really coming into his own, he’s a lightly raced 5-year-old and a really special horse to be around. To have had him since a yearling to now and be with him nearly every day and win a Grade 1 just makes it ever so special.”
Ward said Nakatomi would likely swerve the Gr.1 Forego at the track later this summer to go for the Gr.2 Phoenix at Keeneland on Oct. 4 as a prep for a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.