Officer Rocket pays quick dividends

Officer Rocket returned immediate dividends to owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey when he won first off the claim in the $50,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes at Turfway Park.

Far back for most of the six furlongs of the Holiday Cheer, Officer Rocket ($11.60) suddenly came alive for the final quarter-mile. In the shadow of the wire, his rail rally carried him past a pair of dueling front-runners, Rouse the Cat and Golden Country. On the wire, he had a length on the 2-1 favorite, Rouse the Cat, who had a neck on Golden Country.

Officer Rocket, a 4-year-old colt by Officer, was claimed by the Ramseys from his previous start for $80,000 on Nov. 22 at Churchill Downs. Mike Maker, the primary trainer for the Ramseys, equipped the colt with blinkers for the first time Saturday.

Officer Rocket was making his 22nd career start. As a 2-year-old he won two stakes at Arlington Park, including a dead heat for win in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity.

After Rouse the Cat set fast opening splits of 21.69 and 44.92 seconds under Chip Vanhassel, the six furlongs were completed in 1:11.48.