Nearly's Athleticism, Agility Started at an Early Age

Athleticism and agility are key factors for success in any athlete no matter the sport, but some who are considered among the greatest athletes of all time earned that title by participating professionally in multiple sports. Names like Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Jim Thorpe earned legendary status because of their top-level achievements in multiple sports. Even NBA great Michael Jordan briefly played minor league baseball. Perhaps, that next great two-sport star will come in the form of Nearly. The son of Not This Time may not get the chance to show off his skills in another sport after proving himself to be among the best racehorses in his class with a dominant victory in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Yet, in his youth, he was quite the soccer star at Wind Hill Farm near Morriston, Fla. Breeder Kris Gibbons, who owns the farm alongside her husband, Howard, gave the young colt a large ball to play with. Soon enough, he was running around kicking it all over the field. "He taught himself how to play soccer in the field and just maneuver this ball around and kick it with his feet and his nose, turn and twist," Gibbons said. "Then he'd throw it over the fence for us to throw it back because he just liked interaction with people. He taught himself just to be so agile and so athletic." As it turned out, that early soccer career wasn't just fun and games, but also taught the colt how to use his body in a way that would benefit him on the racetrack. During a Jan. 2 Gulfstream Park allowance race, Nearly was banged by an inside rival exiting the gate and was nearly sent to his knees. He then collected himself, shrugged it off, and rallied to a 5-length triumph. That victory was exactly what Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher needed to see to point him at the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail in his next start. "I really attribute some of that to him being so agile," Gibbons said. The Holy Bull was no easy task either as Nearly prompted a quick early pace set by favorite Cannoneer. Yet, he was unfazed and was ready at the asking of Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, kicking clear to win by 5 3/4 lengths. Cheering in the grandstand alongside the ownership group of Centennial Farms was Gibbons, who had taken the train down to see the colt she bred put his talent on full display. "When he turned for home and started inching away, I just knew he's got it," Gibbons said. "Velazquez, they just have an affinity for each other. … He just does whatever Velazquez asks him to do. That's just been a blessing having those two together. Gibbons is no stranger to good horses. The first mare she ever bought in 1996, To the Hunt, produced two multiple grade 1-winning millionaires in Starrer and Stellar Jayne. Wind Hill Farm also bred 1998 Spinaway Stakes (G1) winner Things Change, 2002 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Brusque, and 2012 Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Hero of Order. That success has stemmed from a small breeding operation that currently numbers at just seven, which gives Gibbons an opportunity to have a more hands-on approach. "We breed probably four to seven (mares) a year," Gibbons said. "I do the work on the weekends and there's only so much I can handle. Just keep it manageable and it lets me be a little more eyes on." One of those seven mares is Ib Prospecting, the dam of Nearly. The daughter of Mineshaft caught Gibbons' attention when she read a list of recent maiden winners in an edition of BloodHorse Daily. She noticed Ib Prospecting was out of a mare named Stormy Frolic, who she correctly assumed was from the same family as one of her broodmares, Frolic's Appeal. Stormy Frolic and Frolic's Appeal were out of half sisters that shared the dam Cherokee Frolic. Out of Frolic's Appeal, Wind Hill Farm had bred 2019 San Vicente Stakes (G2) runner-up Dessman, leading Gibbons to want to acquire another mare from the family. With the help of trainer Patrick Gallagher, Gibbons attempted to claim Ib Prospecting twice in Southern California but lost the shake both times. She then attempted to buy the mare privately, but her offer was rejected. Finally, in August 2018, they managed to successfully claim her for $25,000 before retiring her and bringing her to Florida. Gibbons sold the first foal, Diente d'Oro, for $180,000 as a weanling at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Nearly is just her second foal and the first to win. She had attempted to breed Ib Prospecting to Not This Time in 2021 as the young stallion on the rise at Taylor Made, but the mare didn't keep it. However, Gibbons' analysis showed a strong nicking with the now superstar sire—who was starting to reach the upper end of their budget at a $45,000 stud fee to start 2022—and was determined to breed back. "It was such a good nick and I loved that stallion because he was up and coming," Gibbons said. "(Not This Time) was so gorgeous." Nearly was also gorgeous from his first day on the ground. His playful attitude made him quite the handful during sales prep for the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Consigned by Denali Stud, Nearly sold to Centennial Farms for $350,000. "We knew he was such a nice colt, so our fingers were crossed," Gibbons said. "We had no idea he could run like he can." The colt certainly can run, emerging from a sixth-place finish on debut at Aqueduct Racetrack in October to win his next three starts by a combined 20 lengths while putting himself in the No. 1 spot on the Kentucky Derby point leaderboard as of Feb. 1. "This colt, it just seems so much more exciting," Gibbons said of Nearly compared to the other top runners she's bred. "Maybe because it's been a while. It's just great." As a Florida-bred, Nearly has hit the stage at a crucial point in the state's equine history. Legislation has been introduced seeking to decouple Thoroughbred racing from gaming, which would likely lead to the closure of Gulfstream Park and remove the additional money from gaming in race purses. Nearly is also from the last crop Gibbons bred in Florida since moving there from Kentucky about a decade ago. Kentucky-breds have become even more profitable in recent years as incentives from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund have increased. That has created a more challenging market to attempt selling Florida-breds at the major Kentucky auctions. However, Gibbons is hopeful that Nearly, should he go on to the Triple Crown races and perform well, will help shine a light on the Florida breeding industry—which boasts the most Kentucky Derby winners of any state besides Kentucky with six. "I hope this does help stimulate the Florida breeding program," Gibbons said. "You've got to give credit to these farms here that keep bringing in new stallions and trying to make Florida a little more competitive." Although she is being careful not to get too far ahead of herself, Gibbons fully recognizes the path before her soccer star-turned-brilliant racehorse is leading toward May 2 at Churchill Downs. "It would truly be the dream of a lifetime," she said.