Pin Oak Stud's Geaux Rocket Ride, coming off his first stakes victory in the Affirmed at Santa Anita Park on June 4, soared to Grade 1 status on Saturday, winning the $1-million TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.
Ridden and trained by Hall of Famers Mike Smith and Richard Mandella, respectively, the 3-year-old colt by Candy Ride raced within striking distance of front-running even-money favorite Arabian Knight while wide throughout, put that foe away at the top of the stretch, then fought off a late bid from G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage in the final furlong to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
Bred in Kentucky by OXO Equine and sold for $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale for $350,000, Geaux Rocket Ride covered 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.52. He paid $27.40 to win. Mage finished second, with Arabian Knight – who set fractions of :22.80, :47.11, and 1:11.65 – two lengths farther back in third. Extra Angle finished fourth, with G1 Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice fifth in the field of eight.
The Haskell is a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In Challenge series race, giving Geaux Rocket Ride a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. This year's Breeders' Cup will be held at Santa Anita.
The victory was the fourth in the Haskell for Smith, who previously won aboard Holy Bull in 1994, Coronado's Quest in 1998, and Authentic in 2020. Mandella won the 2000 Haskell with Dixie Union.
“The first day I saw him I wanted to ride this horse,” Smith said after the win, though this was his first afternoon ride aboard the Haskell winner.
Flavien Prat first rode Geaux Rocket Ride, winning a maiden race in the colt's debut at Santa Anita on Jan. 29. The French rider was aboard for the colt's second start, a good second-place finish behind Practical Move in the G2 San Felipe. Geaux Rocket Ride was considered a strong contender for the subsequent G1 Santa Anita Derby, but a fever knocked him out of that race and off the Kentucky Derby trail.
He came back to win the Affirmed with Ramon Vazquez aboard.
Arabian Knight was made the favorite to give another Hall of Fame conditioner, Bob Baffert, his record 10th Haskell win. The $2.3 million OBS April 2-year-old purchase was unbeaten in two starts, a maiden race at Keeneland last November and the G3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on Jan. 28. But like Geaux Rocket Ride, Arabian Knight was taken off the Derby trail. The Haskell was the first race for the Uncle Mo colt since the Southwest.
The post Geaux Rocket Ride Posts $27.40 Haskell Upset Over Mage, Arabian Knight appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
