Hot Rod Charlie breezes for Haskell
Hot Rod Charlie had a different rider and a different description to a five-furlong workout on Friday at Santa Anita in advance of a scheduled start in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 17 at Monmouth Park.
Second in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5 in his latest start, Hot Rod Charlie worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, a replacement for regular rider Flavien Prat, who is riding in New York this weekend. Hot Rod Charlie’s work Friday was termed breezing by Santa Anita clockers. His previous five works were termed handily by clockers. The breezing designation indicates that a horse worked more easily than a horse who worked handily.
“The horse has multiple gears and did it on his own this morning,” trainer Doug O’Neill said.
Hot Rod Charlie, a winner of 2 of 9 starts, won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 20 at Fair Grounds and was third by a length in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs. In those races and the Belmont, Hot Rod Charlie was fitted with blinkers, but will race without the equipment in the $1 million Haskell at 1 1/8 miles.
“He’s run some dynamite races, but he hasn’t had his head in front,” O’Neill said. “We’re trying to get the natural competitive abilities to shine without blinkers.”
Hot Rod Charlie races for the partnership of Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss.
Rombauer, winner of the Preakness Stakes on May 15 at Pimlico, but a well-beaten third in the Belmont Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Friday at Santa Anita and is a candidate for the Haskell.
“I thought the horse worked well,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “He sat behind two horses and took a lot of dirt. He wheeled outside and went about his business.”
McCarthy said a decision on Rombauer’s next start will be made this weekend after consulting with owners John and Diane Fradkin. Aside from the Haskell, the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on July 31 at Saratoga and the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 7 at Mountaineer Park are being considered for Rombauer’s next start.
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The O’Neill-trained Hockey Dad worked a half-mile on Santa Anita’s infield training track in 47 seconds on Friday for the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on July 16, opening day of the Del Mar meeting.
Owned and bred by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Hockey Dad was third in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on the synthetic main track at Turfway Park on March 27, and has not raced since an eighth-place finish in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt on April 10 at Keeneland.
The Oceanside Stakes will be Hockey Dad’s stakes debut on turf and first start on that surface since a win in an allowance race for statebreds at a mile on Feb. 27 at Santa Anita.
Whatmakessammyrun, winner of the Desert Code Stakes at six furlongs on turf on June 6 at Santa Anita for trainer Mark Glatt, worked a half-mile on the training track in 48.20 on Friday for the Oceanside.
The Oceanside Stakes is one of five stakes on the opening three-day week of Del Mar’s season, July 16-18. The richest race of the first week is the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, a $250,000 race at 1 1/16 miles on July 17 that serves as a local prep for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 21.
Hot Rod Charlie has been mentioned by O’Neill as a candidate for the $750,000 Pacific Classic, the richest race of the track’s summer meeting, which runs through Sept. 6.