Pierce Trainees Square Off in Nassau

The Malcolm Pierce-trained duo of Deceptive Vision (A.P. Indy) and Overheard (Macho Uno) square off in Woodbine’s grassy GII Nassau S. Saturday. The pair was separated by just a nose, with Pin Oak Stable’s Overheard coming out on top, in the nine-panel GII Dance Smartly S. here last July. Second in the GIII Violet S. at Monmouth in August, and third by a neck to subsequent GI Matriarch S. winner La Tia (City Place) in Belmont’s GIII Athenia S. Oct. 12, Overheard was last seen finishing fourth in a Keeneland allowance over soft sod Apr. 9. “She likes that Keeneland course. I don’t know if it was the soft turf, but it was a pretty solid race.” Pierce said about the off-the-board comebacker. “I know she’s a graded stakes winner, but there were other graded stakes winners in the race. She’d been off awhile and maybe needed a race.” 

Sam-Son Farm’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Deceptive Vision annexed September’s GII Canadian S. over the aforementioned La Tia, and was third against a solid international cast in the GI E.P. Taylor S. Oct. 19. She displayed her versatility off the bench last time when annexing the GIII Doubledogdare S. over the Keeneland main Apr. 17. “She ran very well,” offered Pierce. “She trains so well and runs so well all the time. Her first couple races last season she was very headstrong. In [last year’s] Nassau [where she finished third], I brought [Shaun] Bridgmohan up to ride her and she basically ran off with him. She’s a lot more relaxed this year. Her best races are when she can settle, get in behind a couple horses, and make that big kick.” 

Trevor Stewart’s Stellar Path (Fr) (Astronomer Royal) could prove a formidable out-of-town invader. A Group 3 winner in France for conditioner Xavier Thomas-Demaulte, the grey defeated a short field in Aqueduct’s Plenty of Grace S. going this distance Apr. 17 in her first try for Christophe Clement.