C Z Rocket | Horse Racing Free Tips

C Z Rocket Ends Whitmore’s Hot Springs Streak; Longshot Carlos L. Takes Temperence Hill

C Z Rocket denied 8-5 favorite Whitmore his fifth victory in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn on Saturday when he got up in the final jump under Florent Geroux to prevail by a neck in a final time of 1:09.04 for six furlongs over a fast track. Flagstaff finished third.

“I didn't think we would be behind Whitmore, but it kind of worked out,” said trainer Peter Miller, who had claimed the City Zip gelding last year for $40,000 at the Hot Springs, Ark., track before he went on to win multiple graded stakes in Southern California.

“Might have been a blessing in disguise to track Whitmore,” Miller added. “He's such a great horse, Whitmore, and so is C Z Rocket. I just can't say enough about both of these horses. My congratulations to the connections of Whitmore on having this horse ready to rock and roll. Going down the stretch, I thought we were going to get there. It was tough. He was a little further back than I'd thought he would be, honestly. I did see pace was hot. Flo (Florent Geroux) knows what he's doing. Horse runs really well for him. Pace was fast, so we were where we were supposed to be and it worked out.”

C Z Rocket, who races for Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele, improved his record to 10-2-2 in 24 starts and has now earned $1,011,641. He returned $7.20, $3.40 and $2.40 as the 5-2 second choice.

In the Temperence Hill Stakes, 47-1 longshot Carlos L. went gate to wire to win the 1 ½ mile race by a neck over Lone Rock under jockey Alex Canchari. Tenfold, the 2-1 favorite was third.

The 5-year-old Hold Me Back horse has now won seven of 16 starts and earned $262,999 for trainer Mac Robertson and owners Good Friends II, LLC.

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Ability To Run On Lasix ‘A Major Factor’ In Choosing Oaklawn For C Z Rocket’s 2021 Debut

The last time C Z Rocket ran at Oaklawn, the gelding was on a 10-race losing streak and in for a $40,000 claiming price.

C Z Rocket may have lost again last April, but Southern California-based trainer Peter Miller and owner Tom Kagele won big after claiming the gelding out of his fifth-place finish.

C Z Rocket captured his next five starts before his streak was snapped with a runner-up finish behind Whitmore in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Flip the results of the 6-furlong race and C Z Rocket would have gone from claimer to champion in roughly six months.

“My owner actually picked him,” Miller said Wednesday afternoon. “I OK'd it, but he picked him. He was off form, but obviously he had back class and back fast figures, fast sheet numbers. That was kind of what Tom Kagele saw and I agreed.”

Miller, who didn't have to shake for C Z Rocket, said the gelding bled the day he was claimed and “just assumed he was a bad bleeder and we were able to control that.”

C Z Rocket went on to set a 6 ½-furlong track record (1:15) in a July 12 allowance race at Keeneland and edge Flagstaff in the $150,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) Aug. 29 at Del Mar and $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) Sept. 27 at Santa Anita before being beaten 3 ¼ lengths by Whitmore in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

C Z Rocket returns to Oaklawn, this time for a rematch with Whitmore in Saturday's $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older sprinters. Like Whitmore, the country's champion male sprinter of 2020, the Hot Springs will mark C Z Rocket's first start since the Breeders' Cup. The 7-year-old son of City Zip has recorded a series of workouts at San Luis Rey Downs in Southern California in advance of the Hot Springs, which also drew Flagstaff.

“The fact that we could run on Lasix was a major factor in us choosing to go to Oaklawn,” Miller said.

C Z Rocket's career U-turn has him poised to reach $1 million career earnings this year. The gelding boasts a 9-2-2 mark from 23 lifetime starts and earnings of $891,641. Prominent North Little Rock, Ark., businessman Frank Fletcher purchased C Z Rocket for a sale-record $800,000 at the 2016 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company June Sale of 2-year-olds. C Z Rocket won his first three career starts (2017) and the $75,000 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes (2018) before he began running for a tag last spring at Oaklawn.

C Z Rocket will be reunited Saturday with Florent Geroux, who was aboard for two of the gelding's five consecutive victories last year. C Z Rocket is the 2-1 second choice in the program for the 6-furlong Hot Springs. Whitmore, who has won the Hot Springs a record four consecutive years, is the 8-5 favorite. Whitmore and C Z Rocket are scheduled to break from posts 6 and 7, respectively, in the projected seven-horse field.

“We felt like we could have won the Breeders' Cup if we had a better trip,” Miller said. “We were plus-40 or 50 feet in the race, even though we broke from the 2 hole and he (Whitmore) broke from the (7) hole. Don't ask me how that happened going three-quarters. But somehow or another we ended up giving up 40 or 50 feet in ground and we were closer to the pace than he really likes to be when the pace is that fast. We're excited. Obviously, our end goal would be the Breeders' Cup, but we're looking forward to the rematch.”

C Z Rocket now races for Kagele, Madaket Stables LLC (Sol Kumin) and Gary Barber.

The Hot Springs is the final major local prep for the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 10. Whitmore has won the Count Fleet a record three times (2017, 2018 and 2020).

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Santa Anita Media Poll: Improbable Named Horse Of The Meet

Bob Baffert-trained Improbable, winner of the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Sept. 26, heads Santa Anita's 2020 Autumn Meet Media Poll, which recognizes equine and human accomplishments in a variety of categories throughout the 16-day meeting which began on Sept. 25 and concluded Sunday, Oct. 25.

2020 Santa Anita Autumn Media Poll

Horse of Meet: Improbable

Sprinter: C. Z. Rocket

Older Horse: Improbable

Older Filly/Mare: Mucho Unusual

Claimer: Psycho Dar

Grass Horse: United

Grass Filly/Mare: Mucho Unusual

3-Year-Old: Smooth Like Strait

3-Year-Old Filly: Harvest Moon

Trainer: Peter Miller/Bob Baffert (each had 11 wins)

Jockey: Flavien Prat (27 wins)

Apprentice: Alexis Centeno (7 wins)

Race: Santa Anita Sprint Championship

Owner: Reddam Racing, LLC

Achievement: Craig Lewis, 1,000 Career Wins

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C Z Rocket Edges Flagstaff In Santa Anita Sprint Championship

In a head and head thriller, trainer Peter Miller's C Z Rocket prevailed by a hard-fought head over John Sadler's Flagstaff in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., final prep to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Ridden for the first time by Luis Saez, C Z Rocket, who is now unbeaten in five starts with Miller since being claimed for $40,000 last April at Oaklawn Park, covered six furlongs in 1:09.14.

Breaking sharply from his number four post position in a field of five 3-year-olds and up, C Z Rocket was immediately into contention and while under restraint, sat three quarters of a length off Flagstaff as they left the half mile pole.

Turning for home, Flagstaff, with Victor Espinoza up, drifted out a bit, carrying C Z Rocket into the three path and from there, it was game on in the run to the wire, with neither horse giving an inch in great stretch duel.

“I didn't expect to be that close, but he broke so sharp and he took me there,” said the eastern-based Saez. “I decided to let him settle and keep him happy. When I pulled the trigger turning for home, he took off. I love this horse, now he's ready for the real deal.”

A winner of the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes going seven furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, C Z Rocket, a 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding by City Zip, was off as the 7-5 favorite and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

“There were a lot of things involved in this,” said Miller, who is off to a tremendous start at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet, winning his third stakes dating back to Friday and his fourth overall, good for a tie with Bob Baffert for the lead in the trainer standings. “We recently sold a part of him to Gary Barber and Sol Kumin and I really wanted to win for those two gentlemen. Flavien (Prat) took off him (to ride third place finisher Collusion Illusion) and I wanted to prove that he made the wrong move.

“I just wanted to win this race … It was the owner, Tom Kagele, who picked this horse (to claim on April 30). I wouldn't have picked him, his form was too bad to claim him, but I did like that he had run some fast races in the past … We're definitely leaning toward the Sprint, he's won the last (five) going one turn. We're going to keep him one turn.”

With his second consecutive graded stakes win in-hand, C Z Rocket, who is out of the Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah, is now 22-9-1-2 and with the winner's share of $120,000, he has earnings of $551,641.

Flagstaff, who ran too good to lose, was off as the third choice in the wagering and paid $3.00 and $2.10.

Ridden by Prat and off at 9-5, Collusion Illusion, who broke from the rail, couldn't go with the top two late and finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Flagstaff while paying $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.33, 45.27 and 57.13.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth to the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

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