Nashville is retired to stand at WinStar Farm
CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm’s track record-setting Nashville, a son of perennial leading stallion Speightstown, has been retired from racing at age 4 and will stand alongside his accomplished sire at WinStar, the farm announced Thursday.
After winning his first two starts, Nashville won the six-furlong Perryville Stakes at Keeneland on the 2020 Breeders’ Cup undercard – the fastest sprint winner on the card.
After fractions of 21.54 seconds for the opening quarter and 43.87 for the half-mile, Nashville crossed the wire with a 3 1/2-length lead in the track-record time of 1:07.89, earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Nashville’s final clocking proved nearly a second faster than subsequent Eclipse champion sprinter Whitmore’s time (1:08.61) in winning the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint later that day.
“Nashville is the fastest horse we have ever had at WinStar,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO and racing manager of WinStar. “He is a freak of nature. Three times he went :43 and change; he led through the first quarter in every start and led after a half in all but one start. The brilliance he showed will give him a big chance at stud. Speightstown is always a plus, already having six sons to sire G1 winners.”
This season, Nashville was 1-for-3, with a wire-to-wire victory at Fair Grounds in March, covering six furlongs in 1:08.61, the fastest sprint race of the entire Fair Grounds meet and the fastest time at that distance in more than two years.
By Eclipse champion sprinter Speightstown, Nashville is produced from the Mizzen Mast mare Veronique, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Almond Roca and graded stakes-placed Calistoga. He hails from the direct female family of Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Tiago, and graded stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Stanwyck.
Bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm, Nashville was a $460,000 graduate of the 2018 Keeneland September Sale, where he was acquired by CHC Inc. and Maverick Racing out of the Lane’s End consignment.