Rockin Rudy will lose blinkers for Arkansas Derby
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Blinkers off worked well for Irap last weekend in the Blue Grass Stakes, and his trainer, Doug O’Neill, hopes the same equipment change will benefit Rockin Rudy when the promising 3-year-old runs Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
The race closes out the meet at Oaklawn Park and offers 170 eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby, to be divided among the first four finishers on a scale of 100-40-20-10.
Rockin Rudy will be moving to two turns after running second in a pair of 6 1/2-furlong turf sprints at Santa Anita: the $80,000 Baffle and an optional $75,000 claiming race. He was an 11-length debut winner when he last ran on dirt in August at Del Mar.
“I think he’s a special individual that deserves a chance at the spring classics, so we’re going to see how it goes,” said O’Neill, who trains Rockin Rudy for Irap’s owner, Reddam Racing.
O’Neill said Rockin Rudy will be racing without blinkers for the first time Saturday.
“He’s never been two turns,” O’Neill said. “He’s had some marathon works with the blinkers off and settled and finished well, so he’ll run for the first time without blinkers. I’m optimistic he’ll run very well.”
O’Neill said Mario Gutierrez has the mount on Rockin Rudy. The horse was scheduled to fly to Arkansas on Tuesday.
