Rattle N Roll, Wicked Halo take advantage of surface switch in stakes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- If Saturday’s $200,000 American Derby and $200,000 Tepin Stakes had been run on the turf as originally scheduled, Rattle N Roll and Wicked Halo would both have remained in the barn on the Churchill Downs backstretch.
But Churchill Downs suspended turf racing on its new course to allow the root system more time to develop and moved the closing-weekend stakes to the main track.
Rattle N Roll won the American Derby for 3-year-olds and Wicked Halo won the Tepin for 3-year-old fillies. Each winner was supplemented for $3,500.
Rattle N Roll ($5.40) and jockey Brian Hernandez sat in fourth in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby, about two lengths off the moderate opening half of 48.66 seconds set by McLaren Vale. They began to advance leaving the backstretch and rallied around the far turn to the neck of Kuchar, who had inherited the lead after stalking in second. Rattle N Roll began to edge in front of the stubborn Kuchar in upper stretch, and kicked clear for a two-length victory.
The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast dirt track was 1:43.27.
After Kuchar, it was 3 1/4 lengths back to Red Run, who held off Kitodan by three-quarters of a length for third. Red Run and Kitodan both won stakes on turf this year.
This race could serve as a confidence builder for Rattle N Roll, who scored his first win since taking the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last October at Keeneland. The son of Connect had gone winless in five prior starts this year, but began showing flashes of good form this meet at Churchill. He was second to Howling Time in an allowance May 21, then was third behind Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife and Howling Time in the Grade 3 Matt Winn on June 12.
"He's a really, really solid horse," trainer Ken McPeek said. "Maybe he's not a top of the heap 3-year-old, but he's certainly not chopped liver."
Before deciding to supplement him to the American Derby, McPeek had Rattle N Roll entered in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 9. McPeek said he is not fully committed to running him back there.
"It's a little bit out of the box," he acknowledged.
One race before the American Derby, Wicked Halo was a dominant 4 3/4-length winner of the Tepin as the heavy favorite in a field of just four fillies going a mile.
A Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred by Gun Runner, Wicked Halo has raced beneath the twin spires four times, all in stakes races. She was third in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill as a juvenile prior to winning the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga. This past spring, she was third in the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill before winning the Leslie's Lady Overnight Stakes here on June 12.
Trainer Steve Asmussen said moving the Tepin to the dirt provided an excellent opportunity for the filly to try stretching out to a one-turn mile. She had never run farther than seven furlongs before Saturday.
"She’s run several good races here at Churchill," Asmussen said. "Unfortunate circumstances [with the turf], but it worked out really well for us."
Wicked Halo ($2.60) had an uneventful trip under Tyler Gaffalione. The pair sat in third, less than a length off leader Heartyconstitution, through the opening half of 45.57. Wicked Halo began to move up on her own volition around the turn. She took over easily when Gaffalione shook her up in the stretch, and continued to draw clear while ridden out. She finished the mile in 1:36.91.
Heartyconstitution held second by a neck over Zawish, and it was a long way back to Verylittlecents to round out the field.
Asmussen said he would discuss plans with the owner for Wicked Halo’s next race.