Rock Lobster captures Saranac

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The connections of Rock Lobster were not willing to wait another week to run in the $500,000 Kent Breeders' Cup at Delaware Park. Besides, they weren't that thrilled about the prospect of running against the unbeaten After Market anyway.

So when Delaware Park decided to postpone Saturday's Kent due to weather, owners Louis Milazzo and his daughter Danielle - the proprietors of Flatbird Stable - along with trainer Michael Dickinson decided to ship Rock Lobster to Saratoga for Sunday's Grade 3 Saranac Stakes. That decision was rewarded when Rock Lobster rallied five wide in the final three-sixteenths of a mile to run down Devil's Preacher and win the $113,900 by a neck. It was 1 1-2 lengths back to Murch in third.

Crested, who stumbled badly at the start, finished fourth followed by Desert Wheat, Sadler's Trick, Classic Pack, 2-1 favorite Amigoni and 7-2 second choice French Beret.

"We just wanted to run before something happens and maybe the Kent gets rained off next week you don't know," Louis Milazzo said. "This was available so we ran here and he ran an excellent race and he was trained excellent by Michael Dickinson."

Under Eibar Coa, Rock Lobster saved ground while in sixth position as Sadler's Trick set the pace pressed by Classic Pack with Amigoni stalking in third. The trio ran that way through fractions of 23.35 seconds, 48.33 and 1:12.99.

Rock Lobster advanced along the inside, stayed beyond Sadler's Trick in the xx path while Devils' Preacher struck the front. Coa then moved Rock Lobster two paths more to the outside and he kicked in with a strong late run to get the win. Rock Lobster, a son of Mt. Livermore, covered the 1 3-16 miles over good turf in 1:57.36. Rock Lobster returned $19 to win.

"I was saving ground and the horses in front of me were slowing down," Coa said. "I had to stop a little on him, and he jumped up and overreacted. When I was able to straighten him out and get him outside of horses, he just took off."

Rock Lobster could make his next start in either the Grade 3, $250,000 Hawthorne Derby or the Grade 2, $300,000 Jamaica Breeders Cup at Belmont Park. Both races are on Oct. 14.