Having picked up the greatest victory of his career, thus far, in the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}) had yet to return to that peak this season, but found the winner's enclosure again in the GII Kennedy Road Stakes Saturday evening at Woodbine.
A 10-time winner in his career, most of them came against stakes or graded company over the course of four years. He'd made a name for himself early on as a quality synthetic horse, winning three stakes races in a row between Turfway and Woodbine in 2022, but found his best stride last year when swapping to the grass. After claiming the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes in early May, he held that form through four more races including running GISW Cogburn (Not This Time) to three-quarter lengths in the GIII Troy Stakes that August in Saratoga. He culminated his 2023 by being crowned a Breeders' Cup champion.
Gone until late July this year, he ran fourth on his seasonal bow in Saratoga against optional claiming company before once again facing down Cogburn Sept. 7 in the GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
Running fourth there and last seen Oct. 5 at Keeneland running fifth in the GII Woodford Stakes, the betting public gave him a 3-1 chance to defeat 4-5 favorite Patches O'Houlihan (Reload), who was seeking the 12th win of his career and fifth in a row, here.
Outsprinted early by the public's choice, Nobals was never far from that frontrunner as he put up :21.80 and :44.24 early splits. Hounding him relentlessly as that one came off the fence, which briefly opened the door for the grey Remuda (More Than Ready) to try a rally from that spot, they drifted out further coming off the turn. Locking horns for the stretch battle, the pair left the field in their wake as they refused to give each other peace, but Nobals had just enough late to score by that three-quarter margin. It was over four lengths back to War Bomber (Ire) (War Front) in third.
Jockey E. T. Baird shared after the race that he learned about the trip to Canada just days ago, and the scramble ensued to get to Toronto.
“I rode him before, but I was actually caught off guard,” said Baird. “Larry [Rivelli, trainer] had given me a call, I think maybe on Thursday, and told me I was going to Woodbine on Saturday. My passport expired, so I was all day yesterday at the passport agency in Chicago. I went in there at nine o'clock and made it home at eight o'clock at night.”
Baird added that his mount's pre-race behavior provided a big confidence boost in his chances.
“The way he acted today, in the post parade and everything about him, was really professional. I had a really good feeling about him in the post parade. He was wanting to jump and move and seemed really bright and ready to go at it.”
The next reported stop for the frequent flier gelding is Dec. 8 at Sha Tin Racecourse to compete in the HK$26-million ($3.35-million) G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint.
He had to fight for it but @BreedersCup champion NOBALS ($8.40) headed Patches O'Houlihan to win the $175,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at @WoodbineTB. Larry Rivelli trained the gelding, E. T. Baird was in the irons.
Don't miss the last today: https://t.co/OtArZ7pP5l pic.twitter.com/QRmvXEnrBZ
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) November 16, 2024
Pedigree Notes:
A humble $3,500 purchase out of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling sale, Nobals is out of a twice winning mare, Pearly Blue, who has produced five winners from six to reach racing age. His elder half-sister My First Pearl (First Samurai) is the only other sibling to earn black-type, which she claimed by way of running third in the Listed Saylorville Stakes. Their dam had a run of poor luck after foaling Nobals with only a yearling colt by Known Agenda born in five years. She visited Forte for 2025.
The second dam, GSW Western Ransom (Red Ransom), is herself out of a winning full-sister to GSW-Eng Raah Algharb (Gone West) and half-sister to GSW-Eng Pharian (Diesis {GB}). Another half-sister to that mare is Aletta Maria (Diesis {GB}), whose claim to fame was as the dam of MGISW Cetewayo (His Majesty), MGISW Dynaforce (Dynaformer), and GSW & GISP Bowman Mill (Kris S.). Some of her lesser known runners include MGSP De Aar (Gone West), MGSP Thabazimbi (Empire Maker), mulitple Group/Graded-placed Bryntirion (Bering {GB}) and G1 Prix Lupin-placed Fort Nottingham (Alleged).
Saturday, Woodbine
BET365 KENNEDY ROAD S.-GII, C$182,000, Woodbine, 11-16, 3yo/up, 6f (AWT), 1:08.59, ft.
1–NOBALS, 120, g, 5, by Noble Mission (GB)
1st Dam: Pearly Blue, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Western Ransom, by Red Ransom
3rd Dam: Western Wind, by Gone West
($3,500 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). O-Patricia's Hope LLC; B-John A. Chandler (KY); T-Larry Rivelli; J-E. T. Baird. C$105,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 22-11-3-0, $1,636,741. *1/2 to My First Pearl (First Samurai), SP, $202,674. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Patches O'Houlihan, 124, g, 4, Reload–Maythefourthbwithu, by Silent Name (Jpn). O/B-Frank Di Giulio (ON); T-Robert P. Tiller. C$42,000.
3–War Bomber (Ire), 120, g, 6, War Front–Sun Shower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). ($190,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Bruno Schickedanz; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Norman McKnight. C$19,250.
Margins: 3/4, 4 1/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 3.20, 0.95, 15.15.
Also Ran: Armstrong-(DH), Remuda-(DH), Flag Of Honour (Aus).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
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