Firewater Rocket's post a plus in Rainbow Miss Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Firewater Rocket might find herself sitting in the catbird seat Saturday in the $100,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes at Oaklawn Park. She will break from post 3 in the field of six 3-year-old fillies bred in Arkansas.

“The other speed is right on her inside,” said Kellyn Gorder, who trains Firewater Rocket. “I like that post position draw for sure.”

Usual Suspect, who breaks from the rail, won her debut wire to wire March 23. Spunky Town, set to break from post 2, led all the way winning her maiden in her last start March 16.

Rainbow Miss Stakes (Race 9)

KEY CONTENDERS

Firewater Rocket, by Macho Rocket
Last 3 Beyers: 60-65-66

◗ She exits a runner-up finish in a first-level allowance March 15 at Oaklawn. Firewater Rocket set the pace after breaking from post 12 in the six-furlong race, and the wide gate might have worked against her, Gorder said.

“We were drawn way on the far outside in a big field and I think we just went a little quick,” Gorder said. “We went about a second too fast that first quarter, and it kind of caught up to us in the last sixteenth of a mile.”

Gorder also noted Firewater Rocket was second to an older horse.

◗ Firewater Rocket races for Lynn and Lola Cash and Brent Gasaway. She was a $50,000 purchase at auction last year at 2.

“I was at the 2-year-old sale in June last year down in Ocala," said Gorder, "and my girlfriend – she’s from Little Rock – said, ‘Why don’t you buy an Arkie-bred?’ We always joke around that she’s an Arkie-bred. I said, ‘Okay, let’s go look at the Arkie-breds.’ There were probably six in the sale.”

◗ Firewater Rocket was small – one of the first foals out of Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Lassie winner Rocket Twentyone – but she made an impression.

“She just walked beautifully on the shank,” Gorder said.

Gorder also noted in her work for the sale she covered an eighth of a mile in 10 seconds, and galloped-out a quarter of a mile in 21 seconds.

“She’s got a huge stride for as small as she was,” he said. “We went down there with [her eventual owners], looked at her two, three times and decided to go for it. She’s been a lot of fun so far.”

◗ Firewater Rocket won her maiden in her second start Feb. 23 at Oaklawn. Edgar Morales was aboard and has the mount Saturday.

Dutch Treat, by Double Irish
Last 3 Beyers: 64-57-74

◗ She figures to be strong through the stretch on the cutback from a 1 1/16-mile win in a maiden special weight for Arkansas-breds on March 11 at Oaklawn.

◗ Earlier in the meet she was second by a neck to Eskimo Kisses, who has since run second in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks.