Patience paying off with Classic Rock

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It had been a long time between graded stakes wins for trainer Kathy Ritvo, and her last one – the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Dean and Patti Reeves’s Mucho Macho Man – was obviously a tough act to follow. But with all the hard work and patience she has invested in Classic Rock over the past year, his impressive three-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint had to be nearly as satisfying for the Ritvo-Reeves team.

Making just his second start since July, Classic Rock rated to perfection under jockey Luis Saez just off the early leaders in the 6 1/2-furlong Gulfstream Park Sprint before splitting horses and drawing off to his fifth win in six outings over his home track.

“He came down with a virus after we shipped him to Santa Anita early last year for a stakes and he was never quite himself once he came back here,” said Ritvo. “I told Dean and Patti I wanted to give him time to freshen up and they allowed me to take whatever I needed. He was never really out of training, I just let him grow up – took the blinkers off for his first start back – and he’s just now becoming the horse we always though he could be. I definitely don’t think we’ve seen the best from him yet.”

Ritvo downplayed the fact she had just won her first graded stakes in more than four years.

“It’s a nice accomplishment, winning a graded stakes, but to be honest I’m just happy to have another very talented horse again, especially for the Reeveses,” said Ritvo. “And I can see a lot of Mucho Macho Man’s qualities in Classic Rock. They both love to be out on the track every morning and, like Macho Man, he’s a complete professional. He never turns a hair in the paddock or wastes any energy, either in the morning or afternoon.”

Ritvo has two options to consider with Classic Rock. She can either train him up to his next major goal, the Grade 2 Smile Sprint nearly four months down the road, or find a prep somewhere in between.

“We’re not going to take him out of town, but he’s an easy horse to train and he runs well fresh, so I’ll just let him tell me what to do,” said Ritvo.