Aging Senor Rojo should enjoy middle-distance claimer
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Anyone watching Senor Rojo gallop along the rail in the mornings at Hastings wouldn’t think he was a 10-year-old gelding with 66 starts behind him. The classy son of Out of Place loves to train and looks as youthful as he did when he won the Grade 3 Premiers at Hastings as a 4-year-old in 2010.
He has lost a step or two since, but he was good enough to win two races in 2015, and he should appreciate the chance to stretch out to a middle distance for the first time this year in a $16,000 claiming race that will serve as the feature at Hastings on Sunday. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up drew eight horses, and the shape of the race should favor Senor Rojo.
Senor Rojo has been trained throughout his career by Dave Forster. The veteran conditioner, whose looks belie his age, turned 80 on May 19.
Under Forster’s care, Senor Rojo has compiled a 14-9-23 record from his 66 starts for earnings of $503,785. Five of his wins came going 1 1/16 miles, and he is coming into Sunday’s race off a third-place finish sprinting in a $16,000 claiming race June 5.
Senor Rojo does his best running late, and with the speedy Aditya breaking from the rail and the quick Off the Top leaving from the outside post, he should have an honest and contested pace to work with.
Denis Araujo retains the mount.
Aditya is dropping to a new low after finishing fourth in an optional $25,000 claiming race for trainer Anita Bolton on May 29. He hasn’t been able to carry his substantial speed farther than 6 1/2 furlongs, but he led most of the way before settling for second going 1 1/16 miles in the B.C. Cup Stellar’s Jay as a 3-year-old last year. He also finished third in the Richmond Derby Trial in his final start as a sophomore.
KEY CONTENDERS
Senor Rojo, by Out of Place
Last 3 Beyers: 73-67-75
◗ He obviously will appreciate the added distance and may have tipped his hand when he worked a bullet three furlongs in 35.60 seconds Thursday.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years, Forster has a 24 percent strike rate with horses going from a sprint to a route.
Aditya, by Mass Market
Last 3 Beyers: 70-75-83
◗ He can be a tough horse to get past when he makes the lead, and he should be the one they have to catch if he breaks alertly from the inside post.