Trainer Bob Baffert placed a gentle hand on Nevada Beach’s neck after his final breeze this week, a quiet gesture filled with belief. Nearby, jockey Juan Hernandez wore a determined smile, confident that the powerful chestnut colt is ready to remind racegoers of his Grade I ability. After the disappointment of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, anticipation has returned, and many eyes will be on Nevada Beach in Saturday’s Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar.
Nevada Beach, the focus keyword, comes into the Grade III for three-year-olds and up eager to recapture momentum after a luckless run in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1, where he never found clear running and finished seventh. It was a rare off-note for a colt who has quickly become one of the most compelling middle-distance talents on the West Coast.
The Omaha Beach colt’s résumé is already impressive. He captured the Grade I Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita in emphatic fashion on September 27, powering home by 1½ lengths and earning a strong 101 Beyer speed figure. Earlier in the season, Nevada Beach dominated the Los Alamitos Derby on June 28, winning by 4¼ lengths over the same mile-and-one-eighth distance he tackles again this weekend. He is now 5-3-1-0 lifetime with earnings of $366,500 and is unbeaten in two attempts at Saturday’s distance. Hernandez retains the mount, and the colt once again carries the familiar colors of owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.
Rivals hope to upset Nevada Beach
Though Nevada Beach is the field’s lone stakes winner, competition lines up determined.
Westwood, trained by John Shirreffs, arrives after a pair of runner-up finishes and will look to continue his upward climb. The colt ran a bold third in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby in April and later finished fourth behind Nevada Beach in the Affirmed Stakes. With new rider Umberto Rispoli aboard, he brings a record of 8-1-3-2 and plenty of untapped promise.
The remaining three contenders complete a compact but intriguing lineup: Indispensable with Hector Berrios aboard, British Isles for Diego Herrera, and Clouseau partnered with Kyle Frey.
Native Diver Stakes field (post order)
Indispensable (Hector Berrios) 122
Westwood (Umberto Rispoli) 118
Nevada Beach (Juan Hernandez) 122
British Isles (Diego Herrera) 121
Clouseau (Kyle Frey) 121
The Native Diver is scheduled as Race 8 on Saturday’s nine-race card at Del Mar with an approximate start time of 4:00 PM. First post is 12:30 PM.
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