Lord Nelson Hopes to Sail In KJC

Peachtree Stable’s Lord Nelson (Pulpit), dominant winner of the Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita in his most recent start, will ship east for trainer Bob Baffert for Saturday’s GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs. The chestnut colt was fourth behind MGISW American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile)–with subsequent GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red (Afleet Alex) in third–in the Sept. 27 GI FrontRunner S. He returned with a resounding 6 3/4-length victory in the Oct. 13 Speakeasy. W.S. Farish homebred Eagle (Candy Ride {Arg}), a first-out winner at Ellis Park in July, was runner-up over the Churchill surface in a Sept. 26 optional claimer before returning to the winner’s circle at the Jockey Club’s 1 1/16-mile distance with a 1 3/4-length tally versus allowance foes at Keeneland Oct. 22. “He trained nicely right from the start, but he was a little bit ‘too much on his bicycle’ early on,” commented trainer Neil Howard. “But he’s settled down and he’s gotten better and better with everything that he does from each start.” Howard thinks his charge’s allowance victory was pivotal. “I thought that was a turning point race,” Howard said. “The two turns suited him beautifully. He’s by Candy Ride out of a Mineshaft mare, so you would think that would be something you would be looking for.” Trainer Mark Casse saddles three juveniles for John Oxley in the Jockey Club. Flashaway (Eskendereya) is the only one of the three with graded stakes experience. The dark bay colt was fourth behind International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus) in the oct. 5 GIII Grey S. and is coming off a solid runner-up effort over track and trip in a Nov. 8 optional claimer. Sky Hero (Sky Mesa), a track-and-trip allowance winner last time out, and Moonlight Bandit (Malibu Moon), a Churchill maiden winner Oct. 26, complete the Oxley trio.