Nakatomi

Nakatomi delivered a decisive victory in his career debut in April 2021 at Keeneland, where he rolled to a 2 ¼ -length score on a sloppy track for trainer Wesley Ward. Sent over to England for the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting, Nakatomi was unplaced in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes after a very slow start all but eliminated his chances.

Later during his 2-year-old campaign, Nakatomi finished third in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite and that fall won the $150,000 Bowman Mill Stakes by three-quarters of a length on a sloppy track at Keeneland.

Given a freshening before his 3-year-old season, the Firing Line gelding returned from a layoff of more than 7 ½ months to win an allowance-optional claiming race June 26, 2022, at Churchill Downs. He followed with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes Sept. 24 at Parx Racing, and then closed out 2022 with another allowance win and a fourth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes. 

In 2023, Nakatomi won only one of six starts – an allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga on a sloppy track – but competed well in graded stakes, finishing a close second in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes and then running the race of his life when he finished third, beaten just a total of two lengths by Elite Power in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Back for a 5-year-old campaign in 2024, the gelding started with back-to-back third-place finishes in a listed stakes at Tampa Bay Downs where he was the even-money favorite, and then in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Nakheel. Ward then brought his charge back for another Grade 1 attempt in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes July 27 at Saratoga, and Nakatomi finally captured his first graded stakes win in start no. 18, wearing down front-running Skelly in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the six-furlong sprint by 1 ½ lengths.

In his next start following the Vanderbilt, Nakatomi was outrun early but made up ground in the stretch to finish a nonthreatening second behind gate-to-wire winner Federal Judge when starting again in the Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes held at six furlongs Oct. 4 at Keeneland. He then closed out 2024 with a sixth-place finish in the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

Nakatomi returned to Dubai again in 2025 for another start in the Dubai Golden Shaheen April 5 and nearly won the six-furlong sprint with Emisael Jaramillo in the saddle, finishing second by a neck to longshot Dark Saffron. He returned to the U.S. for a summer and fall campaign and finished fifth in the Grade 3 True North Stakes in June and third in his repeat bid in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt, both times behind divisional leader Book ‘em Danno. Nakatomi then was sent to Keeneland for a third start in the Stoll Keenon Odgen Phoenix Stakes after two prior runner-up finishes, and that proved to be the charm as he rallied from last to edge longshot Durante by a neck in the $400,000, Grade 2 race held at six furlongs. Nakatomi earned a fees-paid berth in the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint with the victory via the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.