Nations Pride On Target For Season Bow In Man O' War

Godolphin's homebred Nations Pride (Ire) has settled in well in his return to Belmont Park, where he is readying for his season debut Saturday’s $400,000 Man o’ War (G2), a 1 3/8-mile turf test for older horses at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the multiple Grade 1/Group 1 winner breezed twice last week over the dirt training track, covering a half-mile in :52.25  and :50 flat on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. Nations Pride returned to the track a little after 7:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday to gallop one easy lap around under exercise rider Adrian McCarthy, keeping along evenly while wearing a hood to help keep him relaxed on the bustling oval.

“We just took an easy day today since he worked yesterday. He’s brilliant,” said Christiane Harley, traveling assistant to Appleby. “He’s very easy and straightforward. Adrian knows him and always rides him.”

The globe-trotting Teofilo 5-year-old has won a graded or group event in four countries, including a pair of scores as a sophomore on the NYRA circuit when annexing the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and the Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G3)at Belmont at the Big A in his most recent New York outing. He has not started since finishing seventh in the Bahrain International Trophy (G2) Nov. 17.

His impressive resume includes additional elite-level victories last year in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in Germany, and the Canadian International at Woodbine. 

Nations Pride boasts more than $2.5 million in earnings through a 15-9-2-1 record.