Laurie's Rocket to enter stud in Arkansas

Laurie’s Rocket, whose two career stakes win came in Arkansas, will be returning to the state to launch his stallion career in 2015. The horse will stand at McDowell Farm in Sparkman, Ark., and his fee has been set at $1,000 live foal, said farm manager Bill McDowell.

Laurie’s Rocket is due to arrive from Kentucky in about a week, said McDowell.

Laurie’s Rocket, a 5-year-old son of Bluegrass Cat, won six of 35 starts and $515,858. His stakes wins came in the Bachelor and Hot Springs at Oaklawn Park, while he also placed in 10 other stakes during his career including the Grade 2 True North at Belmont in 2013.

“He’s similar to Storm and a Half, who just left here,” McDowell said, referring to Arkansas’s perennial leading stallion recently sold by owner Millsap Stable. “I stood him here for years, then he went on to Iowa. Laurie’s Rocket will be a good replacement for him.”

McDowell noted Laurie’s Rocket is by a son of Storm Cat, the sire of Storm and a Half. He also noted the horse brings speed to the table.

“This horse, he’s got such a good race record, mainly at six furlongs,” McDowell said. “I like that in a stallion.”

Laurie’s Rocket was a $300,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September in 2010. He is out of the American Chance mare Clay’s Rocket, a stakes-placed winner of four races and $104,983 and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Adieu ($907,934) and Grade 3 winners Rapport and Direct Line.

Laurie’s Rocket made his last start on Aug. 8, and finished a troubled sixth in an $80,000 optional claiming sprint at Saratoga. He raced for Willis Horton and will stand as his property, said McDowell. Horton is a resident of Arkansas.

McDowell is also home to the stallions Primary Suspect, Double Irish and Stryker.