Grade 1 winner Lord Nelson's first foal 'looks like dad'

Lord Nelson, the three-time Grade 1-winning son of Pulpit, became a sire on Monday when his first reported foal – a chestnut colt – was born at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky., it was announced.

Bred by Spendthrift, the colt is out of the young Rockport Harbor mare Harbingerofthings, who was a 2-year-old stakes winner during her racing career.

“This is a tremendous foal and great initial representation of Lord Nelson,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “This colt has great size, bone and substance. He has a very nice front end, and he’s flashy and athletic. Really, he looks like dad, which alone is a compliment. It just adds to the genuine excitement and expectations we have for Lord Nelson.”

On the track, Lord Nelson was one of the fastest sprinters in recent history, capturing three consecutive Grade 1 wins in 2016. He turned in a record-setting performance in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, running six furlongs in 1:07.65, which eclipsed a stakes record that had stood at Del Mar since 1962.

Lord Nelson also won the seven-furlong Triple Bend Stakes (G1) and the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1) before retiring to Spendthrift with seven wins from 13 starts and earnings of $958,271.

He is best known off the track for overcoming laminitis, which caused him to miss what was supposed to be his first breeding season at stud in 2017. Lord Nelson covered a full book of 127 mares in 2018. He is set to stand his second season at Spendthrift for a fee of $25,000 S&N.