Promising Juvenile Violence Captures Nashua

Violence rallied from midpack to take the Grade 2, $200,000 Nashua for 2-year-olds on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The lesser-fancied of two Todd Pletcher runners in the Nashua, Violence was unhurried in fourth as stablemate and 3-5 favorite Darwin pressed pacesetter Really Sharp through an opening quarter-mile in 22.88 seconds and a half in 45.45, with Vegas No Show offering pressure three wide in third. Javier Castellano scrubbed Violence to offer a four-wide challenge at the quarter pole, and the duo drew clear, despite drifting inward, to defeat Vegas No Show by two lengths.

“I worked him one time in the morning and he didn’t show me much,” said Castellano. “But, in the afternoon, he is a different horse. He is much more in the bridle and was more competitive. I like the way he did it today. He lugged in a little bit, but I don’t think it was a big deal. He responded so well.”

The final time for one mile was 1:35.32, with Violence returning $7.80 for a $2 win wager as the 5-2 second choice.

“Everybody was a little green down the stretch; horses were kind of running all over the place,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Violence for Black Rock Stables. “He wanted to lean in a little, but once Javier [Castellano] got him corrected he finished well. He’s still a young colt, a colt I anticipate will continue to improve physically and mentally.”

In his only other start, Violence hesitated at the start, recovered to track the leader in third, and surged late to get up by a neck in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on August 18 at Saratoga Race Course. With the $120,000 winner’s share of the Nashua purse, the Medaglia d’Oro colt has earned $168,000.

Really Sharp was third, followed home by Darwin, Irsaal, Stormy Len, and Candy Raider.