Nest is pointed to summer-fall campaign after lingering fever

Louisville, Ky.

Reigning champion 3-year-old filly Nest, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks last year, likely will not make her seasonal bow until this summer, trainer Todd Pletcher said from Churchill Downs Saturday.

Owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House, Nest hasn’t raced since finishing fourth to stablemate and fellow champion Malathaat in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 5. The 4-year-old daughter of Curlin posted her first timed workout of the year April 15, going three furlongs in 38.24 seconds, but her preparations have been delayed because of a fever that lingered.

“She’s doing well, she’s at Palm Beach Downs and we’re actually going to ship her to Belmont in a couple of days,” Pletcher said. “When she first came in, she got a temperature on us, and it cost us a couple of weeks and it’s kind of put us behind schedule a little bit. At this point, we’re looking for summer-fall campaign, just trying to figure out when she’ll be ready. I’d say there is a 25 percent chance she makes the (Ogden) Phipps (G1 at Belmont on June 10), but it’ll probably be later on.”

A well-deserved break already was planned for Nest after her Breeders’ Cup outing, an effort that capped off season that saw the bay filly cement divisional honors on the strength of four graded wins, including three Grade 1 triumphs, and a brave runner-up effort behind stablemate Mo Donegal in the Belmont Stakes. Nest captured the Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland last spring prior to placing second to Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks.

Following her game try against males in the Belmont Stakes, Nest went back to beating up on her classmates, winning the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), Alabama Stakes (G1) and Beldame Stakes (G2) by a combined 26 1/4 lengths.

“Our intention was always to run her this year and give her a break after the Breeders’ Cup,” Pletcher said. “The Breeders’ Cup didn’t really fall her way, she didn’t get into the position we wanted to, made a bit of a premature move and flattened out a touch. She was going to get that break anyway and then we just got unlucky where she got a temperature that kind of lingered for a bit and cost us a couple of weeks. Now we’re playing catch-up a little bit.”

Bred by Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stable, Nest has a career mark of seven wins from 11 starts with $1,973,050 in earnings.