Allowance an ideal comeback spot for Rocko's Wheel

CYPRESS, Calif. – Earlier this week, Rocko’s Wheel was part of a small group of horses trainer Phil D’Amato transferred from Santa Anita to Los Alamitos to run in the final days of the track’s brief summer meeting.

D’Amato wanted to give Rocko’s Wheel a chance to acclimate to surroundings at Los Alamitos in advance of his 2019 debut in an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at 1 1/16 miles on Sunday.

Sunday’s eighth race, run at 1 1/16 miles, will be the first start for Rocko’s Wheel since a third in a similar race at Santa Anita in April 2018.

“He’s probably got a million five-eighths works under his belt,” D’Amato said. “I saved him for Los Al to get him going because his record is so good there. It’s a good starting point to get him back in the mix.”

Actually, Rocko’s Wheel has worked five furlongs 13 times since early April at the San Luis Rey Downs training center and Santa Anita. Rocko’s Wheel has not raced for 15 months primarily because of the death of previous owner Art Elbert, D’Amato said. The horse was part of a dispersal of Elbert’s estate holdings and was taken out of training last year while that situation was resolved, D’Amato said.

“He sat on a farm in Temecula for a very long time until that got straightened out,” D’Amato said.

A 7-year-old gelding, Rocko’s Wheel has won 4 of 16 starts and earned $227,449. He was second in the Real Good Deal Stakes for California-breds at seven furlongs at Del Mar in 2015 and later won a $50,000 claimer at Santa Anita in October 2016.

Rocko’s Wheel won an optional claimer at a mile here in July 2015.

“He’s coming off a long, extended layoff,” D’Amato said. “He likes Los Al, though.”

Rocko’s Wheel is co-owned by D’Amato and Michael Lewis. Sunday’s eighth race drew a field of six on a nine-race program with several short fields. Entries have been a struggle for Los Alamitos during the current meeting, which began June 29 and continues through July 14.

Rocko’s Wheel’s main rivals are All Good, California Journey, and Meistermind.

All Good, trained by Bob Baffert, won a maiden special weight race at a mile for 3-year-olds by 6 1/2 lengths on April 13 at Santa Anita. This will be All Good’s first start against winners as well as against older horses. All Good is jockey Drayden Van Dyke’s only scheduled mount Sunday.

California Journey, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, was a game second in an optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on April 28, finishing a head behind Lord Guinness. California Journey was later seventh as the 2-1 favorite in an optional claimer on May 25 after a wide trip.

Meistermind, who drew the outside post, was fifth in the same race as California Journey on May 25. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Meistermind was a game second in an allowance race at Oaklawn Park on May 3, a performance that would make him competitive in this field.