Nations Pride improved off his runner-up effort in the G1 Belmont Derby Invitational by posting a gritty one-and-a-three-quarter length victory over Annapolis in the G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on Saturday, 6 August.
It was the first G1 win for the three-year-old Teofilo colt, who improved his record to five wins and a pair of seconds in eight career starts.
Nations Pride broke alertly and settled into third down along the inside rail, content to allow Saratoga Derby winner Classic Causeway to set the pace up front. Coming off the rail into the lane, Nations Pride swept past Classic Causeway inside the eighth pole and finished up smartly to win by 1 3/4 lengths in the end. Annapolis closed late to just nip Classic Causeway for the place spot.
Owned and bred by Godolphin, Nations Pride is out the Stakes-winning mare Important Time (by Oasis Dream), who in turn is out of the G1 winner, Satwa Queen. Important Time is a half-sister to Queen of Carthage (Cape Cross), who is the dam of G1 winner Lucky Vega. Important Time produced a full sister to Nations Pride this season.
Teofilo has sired 11 Stakes winners in 2022 including Australian Guineas winner Character, G3 Silver Cup hero Without A Fight, and the Stakes-winning three-year-olds Boundless Ocean, Wexford Native and West Wind Blows.
