LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, NASA WINS PA NURSERY

Riding a terrific gate break and showing superb speed throughout, Someday Farm’s Nasa went gate to wire to win Saturday’s running of the $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx Racing.  A son of Smarty Jones, owned and bred by Smarty’s owner Patricia Chapman, Nasa became the first offspring of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness champion to capture the same stake his father had done so dramatically eleven years ago.

 

Breaking from post five under jockey Kendrick Carmouche, Nasa came out like a shot and was immediately in front in the seven furlong test for state-bred two year-old colts and geldings.  It was a lead he would never surrender.  Long shot Instructor Kunu also came away well to the outside of Nasa and was able to find a comfortable spot just a length off the outside flank of the leader.  Not much would change as the two raced like that down the long backstretch run and then most of the way around the far turn.  Nasa went an opening quarter over a very sloppy race track in 22.98 and clicked off a half-mile in 46.14 but still had Instructor Kunu in close pursuit on his outside.

 

It wasn’t until they approached the top of the stretch that Nasa was finally able to shake loose.  He cut the corner turning for home and got clear by two lengths as they came inside the final furlong and while “Kunu” continued on well, he was not able to close the gap.  Nasa slowly edged away in the final eighth of a mile and came under the wire just over two lengths in front.

 

It was the second win in four starts for Nasa, his first stakes win and pushed his first year’s earnings to just over $89,000.  Trained by John Servis of Smarty Jones fame, he went off as the second choice in the wagering at 2-1 and paid $6.60, 4.00 and 3.00.  Instructor Kunu (20-1) ran an outstanding race in defeat, finishing second, almost eight lengths in front of the third horse, and returned 17.40 and 10.60.  Blitzensmajikreign (34-1) also outran his odds, coming home a very respectable third and paid 10.80 to show.  The race favorite, Flagndini (2-1), was never a factor.  He’d led wire to wire in his debut back in September but broke in mid-pack this time and beat only one horse when the slop settled.  The final time was 1:24.67.