Rock City Roadhog, 9, gets first stakes win in Gus Fonner

Rock City Roadhog won his first career stakes race at the age of 9 on Saturday, when he darted to a five-length victory over Pain and Misery in the $75,000 Bosselman Pump and Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes at Fonner Park. It was another neck back to 4-5 favorite Hollywood Critic in third.

The Bosselman/Fonner, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up, was run around three turns. It is a fixture on the Nebraska racing calendar and had its 30th running Saturday.

Rock City Roadhog, an Arkansas-bred who invaded from Oaklawn Park, was winning for the 21st time in his 73-race career and the first-place check of $45,000 he picked up pushed his earnings over $500,000.

Rock City Roadhog was content to sit just off the pace as Hollywood Critic moved to the lead soon after the start and took the field through fractions of 24.80 seconds for the opening quarter, 49.20 for the half-mile, and 1:14.40 for six furlongs. Rock City Roadhog overtook that one and went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:46.40.

“I had a beautiful trip,” winning jockey Erik McNeil said during a post-race interview on the Fonner's simulcast feed. “I sat right off [Hollywood Critic], clocked him.”

Rock City Roadhog is a son of Valid Expectations who races for Pass Line Stables. He is trained by Schuyler Condon.