By Lynne Snierson
On Sunday morning, trainer Richard Mandella was a man with a lot to think about.
Though his charge Geaux Rocket Ride decisively won Saturday's $1-million TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park going 1 1/8 miles, earning a guaranteed spot in the $6-million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at 1¼ miles at Santa Anita on Nov. 4 via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In”, the pathway to get him there remains undecided.
“We'll be making plans as he tells us,” the Hall of Famer said in the immediate aftermath of Geaux Rocket Ride's 1¾-length victory over Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage.
After the long flight home to Southern California and in the light of day, nothing had changed.
Nevertheless, the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles at Parx Racing on Sept. 23 and two Grade 1s open to 3-year-olds and older are in the mix: Del Mar's $1-million Pacific Classic at 1¼ miles on Sept. 2 and Santa Anita's $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 30.
“I'll think about all of those races and about running against older horses,” said Mandella, who reported that Pin Oak Stud's Geaux Rocket Ride came out of the Haskell in good shape.
Nonetheless, the $1.25-million Travers Stakes (G1) at 1¼ miles for 3-year-olds at Saratoga on Aug. 26 remains a non-starter.
“I think it's too much to think about, taking him to Saratoga,” Mandella said. “He's young and he's not raced very much and we've pushed him along to get to this point.
“I don't like the idea of bringing him to Monmouth, bringing him back to California, and then coming back for the Travers. We pushed him to this point and we don't want to keep pushing. The Travers doesn't seem like the right thing to do.”
With his Haskell score under Mike Smith, Geaux Rocket Ride became a graded stakes winner and improved his record to three wins and one second in four starts and $780,200 in earnings.
The Kentucky-bred Candy Ride colt also gave Mandella his second win in the Haskell – 23 years after his first one in his only other appearance. He won the 2000 edition with Dixie Union.
Geaux Rocket Ride, who was bred by OXO Equine LLC from the Uncle Mo mare Beyond Grace, had been on the Triple Crown trail via the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in early April. But when he came up with a fever and a high white cell count on the morning of the race, it was back to the drawing board.
The bay colt won the June 4 Affirmed Stakes there, which set him up perfectly for the Haskell.
“He had us dreaming pretty high and still does,” said Mandella.
Having the Breeders' Cup right in the stable's backyard at Santa Anita could give Geaux Rocket Ride homefield advantage.
“It does if you're fast enough,” Mandella said. “We think he's fast enough, and so far he's passed every test. But that's another step up to get to the Classic and it's against older horses, so we'll just have to wait and see if he leads us there.”
Geaux Rocket Ride and the Bob Baffert-trained Arabian Knight, the third-place Haskell finisher, were scheduled to be flown back to Southern California on Tuesday.
The post Mandella Keeping Options Open For Haskell Victor Geaux Rocket Ride appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
