Nations Pride much the best in G3 Jockey Club Derby

Nations Pride secured another valuable prize in the United States with a dominant display in the G3 Jockey Club Derby at Aqueduct on Saturday, 17 September.

The Teofilo colt, successful in the G1 Saratoga Derby in August, raced in second of the six runners initially before Daunt passed the Charlie Appleby-trained runner after a furlong and a half.

Nations Pride continued to track Classic Causeway and Daunt down the inside rail until moving up to regain second turning in.

Frankie Dettori angled out Nations Pride at the top of the lane and the Godolphin three-year-old readily chased down Classic Causeway.

He quickly opened up daylight over his five rivals, hitting the line six and a quarter lengths clear in the race won by subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Yibir in 2021.

Frankie Dettori said: “Nations Pride has done very well out here. He has been here for the best part of 10 weeks and won twice as well as finishing second in the Belmont Derby.

“He looks a different horse compared to the one I rode at Belmont. He absolutely flew today and, from the last corner, the result was never in doubt. He has strengthened up and it showed in the result.

"I didn’t want to let Classic Causeway get an easy lead and, when I saw Daunt take him on, I thought ‘great, it saves me having to do the job’. I knew Classic Causeway was going to take me into the stretch and the rest was easy.”