Hello Hot Rod outmotors Return the Ring in Jimmy Winkfield

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - In trying to learn something about Hello Hot Rod, his mount in Sunday’s $150,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct, Trevor McCarthy spoke to the colt’s regular rider, Sheldon Russell.

“Sheldon told me he’s game as could be, he’ll give you 100 percent and he likes to fight,” McCarthy said.

Russell’s analysis was right on point as Hello Hot Rod outfought a stubborn Return the Ring to win Sunday’s Jimmy Winkfield for 3-year-olds by a head. It was a half-length back to Pico d’Oro in third. Scotch Rock’s was fourth followed by Magnificent Chrome. Weyburn scratched.

Following a neck loss on debut at Laurel last October, Hello Hot Rod won two straight at Laurel. Sunday’s stakes victory came in front-running fashion over an Aqueduct track that wasn’t particularly kind to speed.

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Breaking from the rail, McCarthy hustled Hello Hot Rod to the front, maintained a half-length advantage over Return the Ring through a half-mile in 48.16 seconds and repelled the challenge of Return the Ring, who may have stuck a nose in front briefly late, under Dylan Davis.

“He got a little bit more emboldened when [Return the Ring] got in front of him,” McCarthy said. “He was like, 'No thanks, you’re not beating me.’ "

Return the Ring was coming off a debut win going six furlongs on Nov. 28.

“He actually got in front for a little bit the last part, but then four or five jumps before the wire that seven-eighths was getting to him a little bit,” Davis said. “But he ran a great race.”

Pico d’Oro, favored by $74 over Hello Hot Rod and his entrymate Scotch Rock’s, raced third and three-wide throughout, made a slight dent on the top two in the lane, but wasn’t good enough.

Hello Hot Rod, a Maryland-bred son of Mosler owned by trainer Brittany Russell and Dark Horse Racing LLC, covered seven furlongs in 1:26.30 and returned $4.80.

Russell said McCarthy didn’t have much choice but to go to the lead.

“From the rail, when they break like that you kind of have to go and you hope you have the best horse,” she said. “It’s one of those things where however fast he’s going how hard do they have to run from behind to catch him?”

Russell said she would consider a return trip to New York for a race like the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes going a one-turn mile here March 6.

“As far as timing goes the Gotham would be a great steppingstone forward, we would consider it,” she said. “We’ll just see how he is and go from there.”