Doug O'Neill | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Knock On Wood, We’re Heading The Right Way’: Prat Aboard As Hot Rod Charlie Breezes For O’Neill

HOT ROD IN SHARP WORK FOR KENTUCKY DERBY

Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie worked five furlongs Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., in company with stablemate Hammering Lemon, after which Doug O'Neill had high praise for the son of Oxbow as he prepares for the Kentucky Derby on May 1.

“He worked really, really well,” said O'Neill, in pursuit of his third win in the Run for the Roses, having won it in 2012 with I'll Have Another and 2016 with Nyquist.

“I think the clockers gave him 1:01 and two, breezing (the actual time was 1:01.20, breezing),” said O'Neill, who had Flavien Prat aboard. “Breezing” is a rare designation given to horses by clockers in Southern California, who typically designate workouts as being done “handily.”

“Charlie had company with a horse named Hammering Lemon (clocked in 1:01.60) who broke off in front of him. They both finished up good but Charlie was the better of the two.

“Knock on wood we're heading the right way.”

Bob Baffert, seeking his seventh win the Kentucky Derby, plans to work Runhappy Santa Anita Derby runner-up Medina Spirit “next weekend.”

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Hot Rod Charlie Tunes Up at Santa Anita

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), front-running winner of the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby in his most recent trip to the races, prepped for the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong breeze Saturday morning over the Santa Anita main track. The half-brother to champion Mitole (Eskendereya) stopped the clock in 1:01.20 to the satisfaction of trainer Doug O'Neill.

“'Charlie' had company with a horse named Hammering Lemon (Square Eddie) [clocked in 1:01.60] who broke off in front of him,” the two-time Derby-winning trainer commented. “They both finished up good, but Charlie was the better of the two. Knock on wood we're heading the right way.”

Winner of his maiden in his first try at a dirt route last October, Hot Rod Charlie spiced up the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile exacta, going down by 3/4 of a length to 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) as a 94-1 outsider. The dark bay was a troubled third to Medina Spirit (Protonico) when making his seasonal debut in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30, but led every step of the 9 1/2 furlongs of the Louisiana Derby to punch his ticket to the big dance.

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O’Neill: Everything Set For Hot Rod Charlie, Except Derby Jockey

Doug O'Neill has a Kentucky Derby itinerary all mapped out for Hot Rod Charlie, save for one detail: no jockey.

That will work itself after Joel Rosario, who rode Hot Rod Charlie to an impressive two-length victory in the Louisiana Derby on March 20, pilots San Vicente and Rebel winner Concert Tour for Bob Baffert in Saturday's Arkansas Derby.

“If all goes well, our horse will breeze at Santa Anita every Saturday until the final one (on May 1),” said O'Neill, who steadfastly maintains an upbeat countenance. “He's booked to fly to Kentucky the Sunday before (April 25).

“We have no jockey right now but Rosario is supposed to let us know after the Arkansas Derby.”

O'Neill will be seeking to capture the Run for the Roses for the third time, having won it in 2012 with I'll Have Another and 2016 with Nyquist, both of whom were based at Santa Anita. Baffert has won the world's most famous race six times and the Triple Crown twice, in 2015 with American Pharoah and in 2018 with Justify.

Both call Santa Anita home.

“I think it's the weather,” O'Neill said when asked why horses based at The Great Race Place have had so much success at Churchill Downs. “Being able to train daily is huge, and you have to have a great team, too.

“But the weather here gives us a huge edge.”

Team O'Neill got a welcome taste of live action at Santa Anita last weekend when a limited number of fans were permitted to attend the races for the first time in more than a year, with the pandemic hopefully on the wane.

“It was great,” he said, “just the energy in the air. There's nothing better than racing and winning when there's good energy coming from the fans.

“It's great to have people back, so let's keep it going.”

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Big Run In Lexington Stakes Could Propel Hockey Dad To Kentucky Derby

Going into Saturday's final two races that award qualifying points for the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve, Reddam Racing's homebred Hockey Dad sits in 25th place on the leaderboard with the 20 points he picked up for finishing third in the March 27 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park.

Saturday's Stonestreet Lexington (G3) at Keeneland offers 34 Derby points on a 20-8-4-2 scale to the first- through fourth-place finishers. A win or a second-place finish – coupled with the result of the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park – could vault Hockey Dad into the top 20 and a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs May 1.

Hockey Dad has been at Keeneland since the Jeff Ruby. Trainer Doug O'Neill said via text that the decision to supplement the son of champion and 2016 Derby winner Nyquist into the Stonestreet Lexington for $6,000 was made in the past few days.

“It was better to stay here than to go back to California and then come back again,” said O'Neill assistant Sabas Rivera, who is overseeing Hockey Dad's preparation at Keeneland while stabled in the barn of former O'Neill assistant Jack Sisterson. “He is doing very well, and I think he will run big.”

“We'll see how Saturday goes,” O'Neill texted regarding a possible Derby bid for Hockey Dad. “He's a very talented son of Nyquist.”

O'Neill and owner Paul Reddam already have two Kentucky Derby victories to their credit with I'll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist.

O'Neill has one other runner in California ready to go to Churchill: Hot Rod Charlie. Owned by the partnership of Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie won the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) in his most recent start and was second at Keeneland last fall to champion Essential Quality in the TVG Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

Hot Rod Charlie is expected to ship to Churchill Derby Week.

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