'TDN Rising Star' Nadal (Blame–Ascending Angel, by Pulpit), whose four wins from as many trips to the races included the faster of two divisions of the GI Arkansas Derby, will enter stud in 2021 at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, the organization confirmed in a release Wednesday upon the 3-year-old's arrival in the country.
Bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm, Nadal was purchased by Randy Bradshaw, agent, for $65,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale and was successfully resold for $700,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat. Kerri Radcliffe signed the ticket on behalf of an ownership group that included George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman and Mark Mathiesen.
Turned over to Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Nadal easily won his career debut Jan. 19 at Santa Anita, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.28 and followed up three weeks later with a 3/4-length success in the GII San Vicente S. over seven panels. The hard-fought winner of the Mar. 14 GII Rebel S. when sent away from California for the first time, the strapping bay turned in his best effort to date when defeating King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) by three lengths in the Arkansas Derby May 2 (video). His final time of 1:48.34 was a full 1.15 seconds faster than that recorded by his 'Rising Star' stablemate Charlatan (Speightstown) in the other split of the race. It was announced May 28 that Nadal suffered a condylar fracture and was to be retired.
“He's going to have a great career at stud,” Bolton told TDN at the time. “He took a second to wind up. Coming out of the gate, he wasn't a little bottle rocket. Once he got going three or four strides later, he was a :21, :43 horse. That's what the breeders want.”
Nadal is the last of two foals from his dam, a daughter of Solar Colony (Pleasant Colony), whose full-sister Pleasant Stage was named champion of her generation in 1991 following her victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Pleasant Stage was a full-sister to MGSW Stage Colony and GSW Colonial Play, the dam of MGISW Marsh Side (Gone West).
A stud fee will be announced at a later date.
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