TDN RISING STARS

February 8, 2014 - Santa Anita, Race 4, Msw, USD $56,000, 1 1/8m

Nashoba's Gold, f, 3, 2011 by Smart Strike

1st Dam: Nashoba (Ire), by Caerleon
2nd Dam: Grise Mine (Fr), by Crystal Palace (Fr)
3rd Dam: Katie May (GB), by Busted (GB)

Owner: Warren B Williamson
Breeder: Williamson Racing LLC
Trainer: Carla Gaines

Nashoba's Gold, who sported some strong local works on the main track here and boasted a super-talented half-sister in these connections' ill-fated Nashoba's Key (Silver Hawk), MGISW, $1,252,090, took late action down to 3-1 at the off. Breaking quickly from her rail draw, the grey was reined in by Joe Talamo--Nashoba's Key's regular rider--to track from second-to-last down the backside. Still left with a tall task at the head of the lane, the homebred sliced through horses and leveled off nicely when able to lengthen her stride, reeling in Star Act (Street Cry {Ire}) late to win going away by a half length. The winner covered her final quarter in :23.87, according to Trakus data. Nashoba's Key won the first seven races of her career, including the 2007 GI Vanity H. on the Hollywood synthetic and the GI Yellow Ribbon S. over this turf course. Her last race was a victory in the local GI Santa Margarita H. in 2008, but she suffered a freak accident that May after kicking her stall and breaking her hind leg and had to be euthanized. Nashoba's Gold's second dam was a Group 1 winner in France and a Yellow Ribbon runner-up. Under her third dam is Irish highweight, Yellow Ribbon and GI Beverly D. S. heroine Kostroma (Ire) (Caerleon), herself resposible for GI Santa Anita Oaks winner Ariege (Donerale Court). Nashoba's Gold has a 2-year-old half-sister by Candy Ride (Arg) and a yearling half-sister by Lonhro (Aus). Carla Gaines sent out another "TDN Rising Star" owned and bred by Warren Williamson in Texas Ryano (Curlin) Jan. 20. The grandson of Smart Strike made a similar--if not more dramatic--off the pace move to get up that day. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $33,600.