Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc.'s Frank's Rockette won like a 2-5 favorite should in Saturday's $125,000 Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream Park, breezing to an easy eight-length victory.
The Hurricane Bertie, a 6½-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, headlined a 12-race program that also featured the $100,000 Captiva Island, a five-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares won by Michael Vaccarezza's Little Jewel, a 5-year-old little sister to multi-millionaire Little Mike.
Frank's Rockette, a multiple graded stakes winner with more than $1.2 million in earnings, was coming off a 12 ¼-length triumph in the Dec. 31 Sugar Swirl (G3) at Gulfstream.
“Our filly did her job. She loves this racetrack,” Mott said. “We had options to go some other places but given the fact that she won her so easily last time and she likes the track, we just felt, 'Bring her back.' Unfortunately, the owner is from Arkansas and would like to see his horses run in Hot Springs. This was my first option, and he let us do it.”
Frank's Rockette rated in third behind pacesetter R Adios Jersey and Fire on Time along the backstretch and into the far turn. Entering the turn into the homestretch, jockey Junior Alvarado swung three-wide aboard Frank's Rockette three-wide and the 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief picked up the bit and swept past her overmatched rivals on her way to a geared-down triumph.
“I'm pretty lucky, to be honest, to be in this spot and get back on her,” said Alvarado, who rode the homebred mare for the first time since finishing second on her in the 2021 Sugar Swirl. “She's a pretty talented mare and she showed it today. She has a love for this track, too, and she showed it.”
Frank's Rockette ran 6½ furlongs in 1:16.81 to earn a decisive victory over R Adios Jersey, who set fractions of :22.46 and :45.26 before yielding to the Mott trainee. R. Adios Jersey held on for second but was subsequently disqualified and placed third for interfering with Drifaros, who was placed second.
Frank's Rockette, who has three wins and a second in four starts at Gulfstream, collected her 11th career victory Saturday. A homebred, she was produced by the Indian Charlie mare Rocket Twentyone.
“The races are going to get tougher,” Mott said. “Whether we put her in against the big girls, I don't know.”
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