It was a moment of validation for Nakatomi as he streaked across the wire 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Skelly in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course July 27.
Despite tussling with some of the best sprinters in his era, like grade 1 winners Elite Power , The Chosen Vron , Gunite , and Taiba , the 5-year-old gelding has held his own but still sought a graded victory himself.
That honor came in the highest form Saturday as the first graded notch on his belt was a grade 1.
“He’d been a hard-knocking horse, it’s nice to see him get it,” said Marc McLean of Crestwood Farm, who co-bred the horse with Arnold Zetcher. “It’s a huge deal any time you breed a grade 1 winner, so we’re thrilled.”
Prior to his Vanderbilt victory, Nakatomi had been knocking on the door on many occasions. His six graded placings included thirds in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and the 2024 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1).
“We thought he was a good one, he’s always been up there and consistent,” Zetcher said. “As a foal, I’m not sure we would have said he would be a grade 1 winner, but he sure showed his stuff.”
Another milestone that came out of Nakatomi’s victory was providing his sire, Firing Line , with his first grade 1 winner. Raced by Zetcher throughout his career, the son of 2010 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Line of David entered stud at Crestwood in 2017 but was recently sold to stand the 2024 season in The Philippines at Cool Summer Farm.
Firing Line at Crestwood Farm
“It’s a shame he wasn’t able to stick around,” McLean said. “He did have some high-quality runners, and this just shows that he did.”
In addition to Nakatomi, Firing Line is also the sire of six-time stakes winner and three-time graded stakes placed Venti Valentine , a New York-bred that has earned $891,600.
“He had a lot of winners, but not at the top levels. We thought it was time to move on,” Zetcher said. “We did research on the farm in The Philippines, it looked like a really good operation so we were comfortable making the move.”
Firing Line is out of the grade 1-placed winner Sister Girl Blues , by Hold for Gold. Winner of the 2015 Sunland Derby (G3), Firing Line is most known for his several battles against multiple grade 1 winner Dortmund and his runner-up performance to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
“(Firing Line) is an extremely good-looking horse, an extremely fast horse,” said Ben McElroy, who was agent for Zetcher when they purchased Firing Line at the 2014 Keeneland April 2-year-olds in Training Sale for $240,000. “Right from the first time (trainer) Simon (Callaghan) breezed Firing Line, he showed brilliance the whole way along.”
McElroy met Zetcher thanks to a chance run-in with Callaghan in a hotel lobby during the 2013 Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Callaghan told McElroy to let him know if he saw anything at the sale.
“I said, ‘There’s a filly in the second book that I’ll show you tomorrow morning, I think she’s the best horse in the sale,'” McElroy recalled. “Lucky enough, we bought her and she ended up being Fashion Plate.”
They purchased Fashion Plate for $340,000 on behalf of Zetcher, who partnered with Michael Tabor. Fashion Plate would become a dual grade 1 winner, earn $471,250, and be sold at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale for $1.2 million.
Zetcher, McElroy, and Callaghan’s success continued with Firing Line and, once his career came to a close, they made the deal with Pope McLean’s Crestwood Farm to stand the stallion in Kentucky.
“We had shown interest in Firing Line because we had such a connection to the female family,” said Marc McLean. “Ben was able to get us involved with Arnold and it was a great relationship. A couple nice horses came out of that partnership.”
One of the mares that McElroy picked out for the partnership was Nakatomi’s dam Applelicious , a winless daughter of Flatter. However, McElroy saw potential in matching her pedigree with Firing Line’s.
“I bought three or four mares specifically just to support Firing Line…some mares we thought would suit him physically,” McElroy said. “She was a good-looking Flatter mare. The A. P. Indy line, we thought it would go well with Firing Line.”
Ben McElroy
Applelicious’ dam Annie’s Apple was a 13-time winner who won the 1998 Alyssa Handicap at Beulah Park. In addition to Applelicious, she produced a Maria’s Mon filly named K.D.’s Shady Lady, who was second in the 2004 Tempted Stakes (G3) and earned $113,014.
K. D.’s Shady Lady would produce 2013 Clement L. Hirsch (G1) winner Lady of Fifty and stakes winners Bella Conchita, Lady Fifty Two, and Forestry Steel.
“If you look at Nakatomi’s family, it’s actually a pretty nice family,” McElroy said. “(Nakatomi’s success) didn’t come out of thin air.”
Zetcher has seen much success with homebreds, including grade 1 victories by Gabby’s Golden Gal and Midnight Interlude. However, standing Firing Line at stud began a transition period for the owner and his wife Ellen.
“It was at a time when we were thinking of moving away from the racing part and just staying on the breeding part,” Zetcher said. “We were planning to sell all the foals, we weren’t planning on keeping any.”
Zetcher and Crestwood sold Nakatomi for $18,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale as a weanling. The previous year at the same sale, they sold Nakatomi’s full brother, Mainline , for $55,000. Mainline has won five of 17 starts for earnings of $118,492.
Although he misses going to the winner’s circle, Zetcher still enjoys following the success of the horses he’s bred.
Arnold Zetcher
“When you breed them, it’s always very exciting to see them run and be very successful,” Zetcher said. “He’s been fun to watch from afar. We do know the owner (Qatar Racing), we partnered on a horse with them. I’m glad they have him and I think Wesley Ward is a terrific trainer. It’s cool all around.”
Zetcher, who lives in California, still enjoys taking in a day at the races and is looking forward to possibly seeing Nakatomi in the Breeders’ Cup later this fall at Del Mar.
“That would be really neat,” Zetcher said.
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