Little Nick V. rallied in deep stretch to take the $100,000 Juvenile Turf S. at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, the first stakes win for the 2-year-old Colonel John colt who was making just his third lifetime start.
Colonel John leads all third crop sires in both winners (78) and wins (116) and is the only third crop sire with more than one graded stakes winner in 2015.
Little Nick V., second and third in a pair of maiden special weight races prior to Saturday, survived a rough trip in the Gulfstream stretch to prevail by a nose. After a relatively clean trip through six furlongs in 1:14 2/5, Little Nick V. moved around horses at the top of the stretch. Bumped from both sides, Little Nick V. found his best stride in the final sixteenth to come out on top in a blanket finish that saw the top four separated by less than a length.
Little Nick V. is owned by Little Dreams Racing and was bred in Florida by Hickstead Farm. The dark bay colt is out of Campionessa, whose dam is Hollywood Oaks (G1) winner Pacific Squall.
