C Z Rocket heads west for Malibu Stakes

Al Stall has gotten off to a great start at the Fair Grounds race meet, and he hopes his hot hand reaches all the way to California this month.

The exciting, undefeated C Z Rocket left Churchill Downs this week, but not for Fair Grounds. C Z Rocket figures to wind up in New Orleans sometime this winter, but leaving Kentucky, he went west to stable in the Richard Mandella barn and prepare for the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

“He had a good 10 days there since his last race, and we got him out just in time,” Stall said, referring to the cold, wet weather that descended on Churchill just after C Z Rocket departed.

Stall nearly trained the winner of the 2013 Malibu, which is for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on dirt, when Central Banker finished second by a half-length to Shakin It Up. So far, C Z Rocket has not finished second to anyone. He was a sharp two-length debut winner in September at Saratoga, captured a first-level Keeneland allowance by 2 1/2 lengths in October, and on Nov. 23 at Churchill won a second-level allowance by two lengths.

“He’s continued to train well,” Stall said. “We’re excited about it.”

Back at Fair Grounds, Stall’s record entering this week’s racing stood at 9-5-1 from 25 starters, two wins more than Mike Stidham’s second-best total at the meet. Among Stall’s winners is Yockey’s Warrior, who captured the Thanksgiving Handicap for the second year in a row and is likely to make his next start in the $75,000 Duncan Kenner Stakes, a six-furlong dirt sprint on the Jan. 13 Road to the Derby Kickoff card.

Plans aren’t yet set for the most impressive among several Stall-trained 2-year-old debut winners at Fair Grounds, Bobby’s Wicked One, who got an 82 Beyer Speed Figure in winning a maiden dirt sprint Nov. 25. Stall said he’d pass on a Dec. 16 first-level, two-turn allowance race that he feels comes too soon after Bobby’s Wicked One’s first start.

Stall also said that Seaside Retreat, cross-entered Saturday in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic and Ladies, will be scratched from both races.