At all times knocking on the door, Nakatomi broke down the hinges July 27 to win his first grade 1 within the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Campaigned by Qatar Racing and Mrs. Fitriani Hay, Nakatomi ran down favored Skelly for a decisive rating underneath jockey Tyler Gaffalione. The 5-year-old son of Firing Line , making his first begin since a third-place displaying within the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in March, accomplished the six furlongs in 1:09.97.
Breaking from submit 1 underneath Tyler Gaffalione, Nakatomi stayed alongside the rail, letting Skelly set up a two-length lead up the backstretch of the six-furlong race. As soon as once more struggling out of the gate and breaking from the far outdoors submit 6, Skelly nonetheless was in a position to make the lead, and thru early fractions of :22.20 and :44.95, Skelly held an uncontested lead, with not one of the different anticipated velocity horses difficult him.
Nakatomi started his problem heading into the far flip, and by the point they hit the eighth pole, he had eradicated Skelly’s lead, attending to his rival’s outdoors and coasting previous the odds-on favourite to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
Skilled by Wesley Ward, Nakatomi returned $9.30 for a $2 win ticket.
NAKATOMI makes an enormous comeback with a win within the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) with @Tyler_Gaff aboard for coach Wesley Ward and proprietor @Qatar_Racing. pic.twitter.com/QmvUYGY3p8
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) July 27, 2024
Skelly held on for second over longshot Twisted Trip in third. Child Yoda , My Buddy B , and Subrogate accomplished the order of end.
With the Vanderbilt win, Nakatomi handed the $1 million mark in earnings. Winless since final summer time at Saratoga, the always-competitive gelding has compiled a report of 6-2-6 in 18 begins.
Bred in Kentucky by Arnold Zetcher and Crestwood Farm, Nakatomi is out of the Flatter mare Applelicious and is a full brother to Mainline , who ended a 17-race profession with $118,492 in earnings. Offered as a weanling within the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Inventory Sale for $18,000 to Keith Johns, the chestnut gelding introduced $25,000 on the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, bought by Marc Detampel, who campaigned him in partnership till July 2023, when Qatar Racing, who had been one among Nakatomi’s co-owners, and Hay purchased him for $205,000 on the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Horses of Racing Age Sale.
“He went by the sale final yr and I mentioned, ‘You have to purchase this horse,” mentioned Ward. “Sheikh Fahad (Al Thani, Qatar Racing) stayed in for his half and he purchased out the opposite companions, so I am simply elated that my nice pal Alex Cole (racing supervisor for the Hays) got here in for me, in any other case I would not be standing right here at the moment. I can not thank Jim Hay and Alex and Fergus Galvin and Sheikh Fahad sufficient for leaving me with the horse as a result of it actually paid off for everyone at the moment, particularly me.”
“That is implausible,” mentioned Sheikh Fahad on the Fox broadcast of the race. “We all the time thought he was a grade 1 horse. He was sharper than common at the moment, and Tyler gave him an excellent trip. I want we had 100 of him.”
Ward is considering the $350,000 Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Oct. 4 for Nakatomi’s subsequent begin, with the Breeders’ Cup the longer-term aim.
Video: Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G1)
