Tag: C Z Rocket

C Z Rocket Retired To Old Friends

Kentucky's Thoroughbred retirement home Old Friends welcomed the recently-retired MGSW/MGISP C Z Rocket (City Zip). The 10-year-old gelding arrived Feb. 29 to the farm and was welcomed by founder Michael Blowen and current Old Friends CEO John Nicholson.

“CZ Rocket has captured the affections of countless race fans throughout his many years on the track,” said Nicholson. “After such a successful career, this special gelding has earned the right to enjoy being pampered and celebrated here at Old Friends. We are grateful to his connections for seeking such a well-deserved happy retirement for him.”

“”We are very grateful to Peter Miller and Tom Kagele for donating C Z Rocket to Old Friends,” added Blowen.

C Z Rocket last raced at Oaklawn Park Feb. 19, finishing sixth against a starter allowance field.

“Tom [Kagele] and I talked to each other after the race and we both agreed,” Miller told the Paulick Report after the race. “We said, 'It's time, he's done enough. He's sound, healthy, and happy. Let's not push the envelope.'”

The gelding retired with a record of 46-13-9-7 and earnings of over $2.1m.

“CZ was a special horse that took us to two great finishes in the Breeders' Cup and became one of the best claims of all times,” continued Miller, who also donated Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) to Old Friends in 2019. “He was a pleasure to be around and train. We chose Old Friends for his retirement because of the care and love these horses receive and the chance for the public to visit and enjoy this magnificent animal as much as we did.”

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Millionaire C Z Rocket Retired

C Z Rocket (City Zip-Successful Rocket, by Successful Appeal) has been retired from racing, according to trainer Peter Miller. The 10-year-old was last seen finishing sixth at Oaklawn Monday.

An $800,000 OBS juvenile purchase by Arkansas businessman Frank Fletcher, C Z Rocket had lost 11 consecutive starts when he moved to Miller's barn in April of 2020 after he was claimed on behalf of Tom Kagele for $40,000 at Oaklawn. For his new connections, which subsequently included Altamira Racing and Madaket Stables, the Florida bred won 13 races, finished second nine times and was third on seven occasions from 46 starts, before retiring with earnings of $2,144,691.

Highlighting his victories, he annexed the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., GII Pat O'Brien and GIII Count Fleet S. in addition to finishing runner-up in two renewals of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, held at Keeneland in 2020 and 2022.

“One of the all-time great claims,” the California-based Miller said by phone Monday afternoon. “Made over $2 million, second in the Breeders' Cup twice and retires sound and happy. If that's not a success, I don't know what is.”

Third in his seasonal debut in a Santa Anita allowance Jan. 19, the bay was sixth facing starter allowance company in Hot Springs Feb. 19.

“The last thing I want to see is him get hurt,” Miller said. “He's very sound, but he's lost a step or two and now's the time.”

Miller said C Z Rocket's post-racing life could begin in a Kentucky equine retirement facility.

“If we can get him into Old Friends or Kentucky Horse Park, we'd do that,” Miller said. “And if not, we'll bring him home.”

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Anarchist Punches Breeders’ Cup Ticket Via Del Mar’s Pat O’Brien

Seven times second in his 11 previous trips to the post and still eligible for a second-level allowance, Anarchist (Distorted Humor) earned an all-expenses-paid berth into the field for this year's GI BigAss Fans Dirt Mile with a hard-fought success in Saturday's GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar.

Beaten for speed from his high draw, Anarchist settled about four paths off the rail and in centerfield as Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride) and Vivir Con Alegria (Chi) (Flyer {Chi}) matched motors through a sizzling opening quarter that was posted in :21.49. The well-backed Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper) came after Brickyard Ride with a two-wide run around the turn, but Anarchist had the move covered and moved simultaneously three deep before poking his head in front nearing the stretch. Shoved over onto his correct lead by Ramon Vazquez at the eighth pole, Anarchist opened a clear advantage and held sway late as Bye Bye Bobby (Quality Road) flashed home from a distant last. C Z Rocket (City Zip) was third.

Anarchist joined the Doug O'Neill barn this past winter, having broken his maiden at Ellis Park for Chris Davis last summer, and was second in his first four outings for the barn, including the GIII San Simeon S. sprinting down the hill Mar. 5 and the Apr. 22 GIII Kona Gold S. on the main track. A 3/4-length winner of the GIII Jacques Cartier S. at Woodbine May 13, the bay was runner-up to champion Elite Power (Curlin) in the GII True North S. at Belmont June 10 and again in this track's GI Bing Crosby S. July 29.

Pedigree Notes:

Anarchist is one of five winners from six to race out of a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Win With a Wink, a stakes winner in New York-bred restricted company. Vicarious Won was sold for $20,000 in foal to Runhappy at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, and the resulting produce–a filly named Won Happy Mama–broke her maiden at first asking by 5 1/2 lengths in an Iowa-bred maiden at Prairie Meadows July 31. Vicarious Won has a yearling filly by Kantharos and was bred to Blame this season.

Saturday, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
PAT O'BRIEN S.-GII, $252,500, Del Mar, 8-26, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:23.21, ft.
1–ANARCHIST, 121, c, 4, by Distorted Humor
                1st Dam: Vicarious Won (MSP, $138,339), by Elusive Quality
                2nd Dam: Win With a Wink, by Dixieland Band
                3rd Dam: With a Wink, by Clever Trick
($75,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ilium Stables, LLC; B-Centaur Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Ramon A. Vazquez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: GISP-US, GSW-Can, 12-3-7-0, $460,508. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bye Bye Bobby, 121, c, 4, Quality Road–Revel in the Win, by Red Bullet. ($870,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-B4 Farms, LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $50,000.
3–C Z Rocket, 121, g, 9, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal. ($800,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN). O-Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Peter Miller. $30,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 33.40, 15.60.
Also Ran: Sir Atticus, Spirit of Makena, Hoist the Gold, Moose Mitchell, Brickyard Ride, Vivir Con Alegria (Chi), Go Joe Won. Scratched: Visitant.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Spirit of Makena Continues Streak with Triple Bend Score

Quarter cracks have plagued Spirit of Makena (h, 5, Ghostzapper–Win for M'lou, by Gilded Time) this spring, but they're only a memory after the speedy chestnut captured Saturday's GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita. It was his second consecutive graded score following a win in the GIII San Carlos S. in March. MGSW and two-time Breeders' Cup runner-up C Z Rocket (City Zip) and multiple statebred SW Desmond Doss (Grazen) followed him home.

MGSW and one-time Derby horse Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) set the :22.86 early pace while Spirit of Makena was restrained a length behind and to his outside in second. Forbidden Kingdom continued to show the way, switching smoothly to another gear and putting a little daylight between him and his pursuer before the :45.22 half. Spirit of Makena menaced briefly alongside the pacesetter coming off the turn, but promptly put the result to bed with jockey Joe Bravo's encouragement. He tripped the six-furlong timer in 1:09.92 and sauntered home uncontested as Bravo sat chilly late for a 3 1/4-length win.

“He's a nice horse,” said winning trainer George Papaprodromou. “He won the last time doing the same thing kind of. I'm grateful to train a horse like that and I would like to thank the owners for giving me a horse like that. We are looking forward to a nice future with him.”

Had it not been for the head of hard-knocking Holden the Lute (Midnight Lute) last September in Spirit of Makena's second lifetime start, the Triple Bend winner would be undefeated. He got a five-month freshening after that lone loss. The chestnut has been perfect in all four of his starts at seven furlongs or less and came out with guns blazing in 2023–first capturing a Santa Anita optional allowance with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure and then trying and conquering graded company for the first time Mar. 11 in the San Carlos. Papaprodromou indicated he would target the GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar in July for the Triple Bend winner.

Pedigree Notes:

The brilliant Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, now a 23-year-old Hill 'n' Dale sire, has been represented by 96 black-type winners and 49 graded winners. Amazingly, three of his graded winners–Canadian champion and U.S. MGISW Shaman Ghost, Whiskey Ticket, and Spirit of Makena–are out of Gilded Time mares. The late Gilded Time, a flashy chestnut in the same vein as the Triple Bend winner as well as a champion 2-year-old, has quietly racked up 79 stakes winners out of his daughters, including GISW and current freshman stallion Audible (Into Mischief).

Spirit of Makena is the first stakes performer in three generations of his immediate female family, but he is a second-generation homebred for Bruce Chandler and the last named foal out of his dam. The mare does have an unnamed 3-year-old filly by Merit Man who sold at the recent CTBA Winter Mixed sale to O.J. Jauregui for $5,000.

Saturday, Santa Anita
TRIPLE BEND S.-GII, $201,000, Santa Anita, 5-27, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:23.07, ft.
1–SPIRIT OF MAKENA, 122, h, 5, by Ghostzapper
           1st Dam: Win for M'lou, by Gilded Time
           2nd Dam: Take the Picture, by Doneraile Court
           3rd Dam: I'vegotthatfeeling, by Regal Classic
O/B-Bruce Chandler (KY); T-George Papaprodromou; J-Joe Bravo. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $347,600. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–C Z Rocket, 120, g, 9, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal. ($800,000 2yo '16 OBSOPN). O-Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber, and Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises (FL); T-Peter Miller. $40,000.
3–Desmond Doss, 120, h, 7, Grazen–Malley Girl, by Malek (Chi). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Nick Alexander (CA); T-Steven Miyadi. $24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NO, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 5.30, 27.80.
Also Ran: Forbidden Kingdom, Positivity, Midnight Mammoth, Howbeit.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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