Avery Island made it two in a row with a convincing score in Sunday's GII Nashua S. at the Big A, stamping himself as a 2-year-old to watch going forward. The win was the second in three starts for the bay, who recently captured a 1 1/16-mile maiden heat at Belmont in wire-to-wire fashion Sept. 30.
Away in good order as the second choice, the colt set a measured pace along the inside through a quarter-mile in :23.66, taking moderate pressure to his outside from longshot Under the Graydar (Graydar). Shaking clear from that one on the far turn, he spun into the stretch with heavily favored Avenue Malcainu (Into Mischief) ranging up to mount a menacing bid. Avery Island had plenty in reserve, however, and rebroke to notch a comfortable victory. Super Sermon came back to tag the favorite for place honors.
“It was a great race for only his third start,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who won his fifth Nashua. “[Jockey] Joe Bravo did a great job. He was pressured early and then he kind of drew off late. We're tickled to death. He's nice horse. We'll look at the [GII] Remsen [S.] back in four weeks.”
Avery Island was a dull seventh as the 7-2 favorite sprinting six furlongs in his debut at Saratoga Aug. 19. He caught a sealed track labeled good last out at Belmont, but relished the added ground with an easy score. The form from that race received an added boost when second-place finisher High North (Midnight Lute) returned to annex a Keeneland maiden event Oct. 26.
“It's encouraging that it wasn't a wet track or sealed or anything this time,” McLaughlin added. “He's always trained well and we've always liked him and that was a great result today. The longer the better. He's a big strong horse with a big stride. He wants to run all day.”
Pedigree Notes:
Avery Island's Second dam Isola Piu Bella (Chi) (Rich Man's Gold) was Chile's Horse of the Year in 2004 and was imported to the United States by Sumaya U.S. Stable. Kinda Spicy, who won twice from just two starts in 2011, produced a colt by Street Sense in 2016 and a colt by Ghostzapper in 2017 before visiting Nyquist this spring.
Sunday, Aqueduct
NASHUA S.-GII, $200,000, AQU, 11-5, 2yo, 1m, 1:37.58, ft.
1–AVERY ISLAND, 116, c, 2, by Street Sense&log=">Street Sense
1st Dam: Kinda Spicy, by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Isola Piu Bella (Chi), by Rich Man's Gold
3rd Dam: Sweet Music (Chi), by Inchwood
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O/B-Godolphin Racing LLC (KY); T-Kiaran P. McLaughlin; J-Joe
Bravo. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $165,332.
Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Super Sermon, 116, c, 2, Super Saver–Love and Faith, by
Corinthian. O-WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Aveenu Malcainu, 122, c, 2, Into Mischief–Island Time, by
Trippi. ($125,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '17
OBSAPR). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Taylor Brothers Properties LLC,
George E. Saufley & Brian B. Kahn (NY); T-Jeremiah C.
Englehart. $20,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, HF, 3HF. Odds: 2.15, 3.15, 0.90.
Also Ran: Crea's Bklyn Law, Blue Ridge Scout, Under the Graydar. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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