Hot Rod Charlie vs. Midnight Bourbon in BC Classic will not happen
Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon, the 1-2 finishers in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, will not meet for a fifth time this year in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
While Hot Rod Charlie on Tuesday will be heading back to Southern California to prepare for the Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, Midnight Bourbon is headed to Kentucky, where he will get a brief freshening and be considered for a start in the Grade 1, $750,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26.
Steve Asmussen, who trains Midnight Bourbon for Ron Winchell, said Midnight Bourbon will skip the Breeders’ Cup “because the whole team thinks he can be better as a 4-year-old,” he said.
Asmussen is hoping that Midnight Bourbon could potentially have a similar 4-year-old campaign that Gun Runner had in 2017 which included victories in the Stephen Foster, Whitney, Woodward, and culminated with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar and a Horse of the Year title. Gun Runner was also owned by Winchell.
Asmussen still maintains that in Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby jockey Flavien Prat intentionally allowed Hot Rod Charlie to drift out at the top of the lane, which carried Midnight Bourbon and Ricardo Santana Jr. out beyond the middle of the track. Hot Rod Charlie went on to win the Pennsylvania Derby by 2 1/4 lengths over Midnight Bourbon. After a stewards’ inquiry and a jockey’s objection from Santana, the stewards let the result stand.
In July, Hot Rod Charlie crossed the finish line first in the Haskell, but Hot Rod Charlie drifted in to engage a rail-rallying Mandaloun. In the process, Hot Rod Charlie cut in front of Midnight Bourbon, who clipped Hot Rod Charlie’s heels, stumbled and unseated jockey Paco Lopez.
In March, Hot Rod Charlie beat Midnight Bourbon by two lengths when the two finished first and second in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. In the Kentucky Derby, Hot Rod Charlie finished third, Midnight Bourbon sixth, behind Medina Spirit.
Hot Rod Charlie trainer Doug O’Neill arrived in California late Sunday morning and is anxious for his colt to join him Tuesday. O’Neill said his team at Parx told him Hot Rod Charlie "ate up, looks good and healthy” out of the Pennsylvania Derby.
On a day when most of the dirt winners came from off the pace, Hot Rod Charlie was one of two horses - Jackie’s Warrior in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob the other - to win on the front end.
“It did seem like it was extremely difficult to win on the front end, he accomplished that,” O’Neill said. “He still showed a little bit of immaturity where he exaggerated a little bit. To me, he showed he’s got so much raw ability and he’s still learning and has room to keep improving.”
In the Classic, Hot Rod Charlie will meet older horses such as Knicks Go and Max Player for the first time.
“We’ve seen scenarios where a 3-year-old that seemingly is getting better and better with each race as the year unfolds can jump up and compete and beat the older horses,” O’Neill said. “I’m optimistic that Charlie can be in the mix of horses that have done it.”
Hot Rod Charlie, a son of Oxbow owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, and William Strauss, earned a career-best 111 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory. It was the top two-turn Beyer Figure by a 3-year-old this year.
While Asmussen will send Midnight Bourbon to Churchill Downs, he will on Tuesday ship Clairiere, winner of the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, Jackie’s Warrior, dominant winner of the Grade 3 Gallant Bob, and Silver State, runner-up to Mind Control in the Parx Dirt Mile, to California for the Breeders’ Cup.
Clairiere, a 2 1/2-length winner of the Cotillion, will take on older females for the first time in the $2 million Distaff. Clairiere equaled her career best by earning a 93 Beyer in the Cotillion, the same figure she earned when second to Malathaat in the Grade 1 Alabama.
“She came out of it great, she’s a top-class horse, she’s not searching for her Grade 1 win, she has it,” Asmussen said.
Jackie’s Warrior, who figures to go off the favorite in the $2 million Sprint, was an easy 6 3/4-length winner of the Gallant Bob, his fourth victory from six starts this year and eighth from 11 overall.
“The unique thing about yesterday, that was only his second time running six furlongs,” Asmussen said, referring to the distance of the Sprint. “It was brilliant and I’m excited to get to run him in the Sprint.”
Jackie’s Warrior earned a career-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure for the Gallant Bob.
Silver State was beaten a head by Mind Control after taking the lead in midstretch. Ricardo Santana Jr., Silver State's rider, said he felt the horse pull himself after striking the front.
“Obviously disappointed with Silver State ending up second in the Parx Mile, but he came out of it in very good order and is capable of better and we expect to get that in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile,” Asmussen said.