Homewrecker Stable’s THREE HOUR NAP (Afternoon Deelites) slipped through an
opening on the rail turning for home and drove to a one-length victory in
Saturday’s $250,000
National Jockey Club H. (G3) at Hawthorne. Winner of the
2004 Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Futurity (G3), the four-year-old colt notched his
second graded win and improved his overall mark to 12-6-0-2 with $368,217 in
earnings. The Hugh Robertson charge covered nine furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:52 2/5 with
jockey Francisco Torres.
Sent off the 5-1 fourth choice in the six-horse field, the winner raced in
midpack as Courthouse (Doneraile Court) established slow splits in :24 3/5 and
:48 4/5. Nkosi Reigns (Out of Place) held a brief advantage through six furlongs in 1:12 4/5,
but Torres had guided his mount to the rail and just needed an opening to set
sail for the lead. They slid through a small gap, completing a mile in 1:38 4/5,
and the race was over.
The bay paid $12.40, $6.80 and $5.80, while Summer Book
(Notebook) took second at 26-1, returning $16.40 and $6.20. Courthouse finished
three parts of a length back in third, yielding $9.40 and capping the $1,117.60
trifecta at 18-1. The exacta totaled $217.20, and the 5-3-1-2 superfecta gave
back $3,152.40 with Nkosi Reigns on the bottom. Evening Attire (Black Tie Affair
[Ire]) came next under the wire and was trailed by even-money favorite Colita
(Grindstone).
Out of the multiple stakes-winning Pilgrim’s Treasure (Pilgrim), Three Hour
Nap is a half-brother to the stakes-placed sophomore colt Smart Sherif (Old
Trieste). He was bred in Kentucky by Frank Penn Jr. and D. Flannigan, and sold
for $67,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Now two for two at 1 1/8
miles, Three Hour Nap also captured Arlington Park’s Native Dancer S. last year
at the same distance.
“He had a lot of injuries over the years,” Robertson said. “Hopefully, he’ll
be sound now.”