Hit the Road makes presence known with Thunder Road

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hit the Road won the restricted Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar last July, displaying a stretch run that suggested he would play a leading role in graded turf stakes for 3-year-olds in the following months.

A minor injury prevented Hit the Road from racing for the rest of 2020. The colt returned to racing with an emphatic win by 3 3/4 lengths in Saturday’s Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita that left trainer Dan Blacker in a state of disbelief.

“I didn’t expected him to win so easy,” Blacker said. “I can’t believe it.”

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Hit the Road ($8.20) stalked pacesetter Sombeyay to early stretch before taking a commanding lead with more than a furlong remaining.

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“I was on top of the race at the five-furlong marker,” Rispoli said. “He was so good today. He switched leads at the top of the stretch and showed good acceleration.”

Rispoli knows Hit the Road well. He was aboard the colt for a win in an allowance race last May in Hit the Road’s first start of 2020, and again in the Oceanside. More recently, Rispoli worked Hit the Road in advance of the $100,500 Thunder Road Stakes.

“When I worked him, I felt he could come back in a huge way,” Rispoli said.

Sombeyay set a decent pace of 23.60 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.80 for a half-mile, tracked by Bob and Jackie. Neither could keep pace with Hit the Road in the stretch.

The third choice in a field of six, Hit the Road was timed in 1:33.35 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

Bob and Jackie, the 2-1 favorite, held second, a half-length in front of 7-1 Border Town, who closed well through the stretch. Somebeyay, Hembree, and Campaign completed the order of finish in the small field.

Award Winner was scratched early Saturday, while the multiple stakes winner Restrainedvengence was withdrawn approximately 30 minutes before race time after he was uncooperative when stable staff tried to apply a bridle, track stewards said.

Officially, Restrainedvengence was withdrawn for being late to the holding barn at the appointed time even though he never left trainer Val Brinkerhoff’s stable, stewards said.

Hit the Road, by More than Ready, has won three stakes in his career for the partnership of D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, and Dave Odmark. Hit the Road won the Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf in October 2019, but was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf here in November 2019, only to be disqualified and placed last of 14 for causing interference.

After the Oceanside Stakes, Hit the Road was sidelined with what Blacker described as “bone-bruising.”

Hit the Road has won 5 of 8 starts and has earned $254,751. The Thunder Road was the first graded stakes win for Blacker, 38.