Rock Me Baby is Dreamin’ of a repeat

DEL MAR, Calif. – The $150,000 California Dreamin’ Handicap at Del Mar on Sunday is custom-made for Rock Me Baby’s summer campaign.

Last year, Rock Me Baby won the California Dreamin’ and was second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile. His season ended last fall with a hind-end injury detected after a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita.

This year, trainer Craig Dollase is hoping to win the California Dreamin’ and use the Del Mar Mile on Aug. 23 as a path to a greater goal – the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31. Rock Me Baby has a history in the Breeders’ Cup, having finished sixth in the BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in 2013.

“We’re keeping an eye on the Breeders’ Cup,” he said.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Rock Me Baby won the Albany Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Golden Gate Fields on June 13, his only start this year. Dollase said he has been encouraged by Rock Me Baby’s works in recent weeks, including six furlongs in 1:14.40 on Tuesday.

“We gave him plenty of time to recover,” he said. “I got two three-quarter works in him, which is what I wanted. We hope to move forward off of this.”

The California Dreamin’ is run at 1 1/16 miles on turf and drew a strong field of 11.

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Rock Me Baby’s main rivals are Patriots Rule, Awesome Return, and Weewinnin, the first three finishers of the Crystal Water Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on June 6; Temple Keys, second in the Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-old California-breds on May 23; and G. G. Ryder, the winner of consecutive Grade 3 races at Golden Gate Fields this year.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, G. G. Ryder was fourth in the Oak Tree Handicap at the Alameda County Fair at Pleasanton on June 20, his only career start on dirt.