The Maryland-bred son of Mosler comes in off three consecutive victories, but has gone unraced since Jan. 31. He will be making his debut in the colors of owner George Sharp, who purchased Hello Hot Rod for $335,000 at auction in February from previous co-owner and trainer Brittany Russell. Among his rivals will be former stablemate Maythehorsebwithu. And, there is a Triple Crown berth on the line.

“We know he gets along well there,” trainer Shawn Davis said. “He's had several thoughts and hopes but the way he's trained and the way he's worked up to it, this is the first time I thought he'd been ready for any race since we've had him. I think he'll be coming in there pretty tough.”

The 40th running of the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio serves to headline a Spring Stakes Spectacular program of six stakes worth $650,000 in purses. For the sixth straight year, it will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico.

Named for the noted Italian breeder, owner and trainer whose homebreds Nearco and Ribot dominate Thoroughbred bloodlines around the world, the Tesio debuted at Pimlico in 1981 and stayed every year but two through 2015. Laurel Park hosted the Tesio in 1987 and 1989 and each year since 2016.

Hello Hot Rod, a younger half-brother to multiple stakes-winning filly Hello Beautiful out of the mare Hello Now, made each of his first three starts at Laurel. He lost his debut in a waiver maiden claimer last October by a neck before back-to-back wins in maiden and allowance company – the latter going a mile – by a combined 6 ½ lengths.

Nine days following a victory in the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct, Hello Hot Rod was sold at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky February mixed sale for more than 30 times the $10,000 that Russell and Dark Horse Farm paid for him as a yearling.

Various circumstances kept Hello Hot Rod from returning to the races until now, but he has a string of six steady works since March 9 in Kentucky at both Keeneland and The Thoroughbred Center, where his most recent drill of four furlongs in 47.60 seconds came April 17, fifth-fastest of 49 horses.

“He's trained really well. Because of the ice storms and sale and different things we had some setbacks with him, but nothing serious,” Davis said. “The horse, his last couple works he's done really well in them and he'll be ready for the Tesio.”

Hello Hot Rod was already Triple Crown-nominated when he was purchased, and Davis said the Preakness bid did play a part both in the sale and choosing the Tesio, which will be his first attempt around two turns.

“That does factor in. We'll just have to see how he does and how he comes out of the race and everything,” Davis said. “What I liked about the horse since we got him is when you look at his form and everything, he'd never been trained really hard and he looked like he had quite a bit of ability. At this point to us as we've been working with him, he seems like he's got a lot of class. We know that he's done well so far and we're hoping that he's got the class he needs to go forward.”

Feargal Lynch is named to ride Hello Hot Rod from Post 5 in a field of eight.

Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Maythehorsebwithu was among nine Triple Crown nominees at the late March 29 deadline. He will be making his ninth start, fourth straight in stakes and fifth overall in the Tesio. He has progressively gone from 5 ½ furlongs in his Delaware Park debut last summer to 1 1/16 miles in the March 13 Private Terms at Laurel, his two-turn debut, where ran second by a half-length to Shackled Love.

“There's a little bit more of a run to the first turn over here, so you just hope that he gets a good spot and settles into that first turn and can just get comfortable,” Russell said. “Hopefully he just keeps running like he has.”

A dominant front-running winner of the one-mile Miracle Wood by four lengths Feb. 20 at Laurel, Maythehorsebwithu has been second in his other two stakes attempts including a neck loss to multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion in Laurel's seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 16.

Maythehorsebwithu had an easy five-furlong breeze in 1:01.80 Sunday at Pimlico, where he has joined Russell's on-track string. Her husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, gets the return call from far outside Post 8.

“He had an easy day [Monday] because he worked on Sunday and he came out [Tuesday] morning and had his back all up and he was playing around and had lots of energy. It's just exciting to see him kind of touting himself like that again,” Russell said. “He doesn't really seem like he cares that he's at Pimlico and all that. He's been a lot of fun thus far, so you hope that he just keeps stepping forward.”

This year's early Triple Crown nominations opened Jan. 11 at a cost of $600, due by Jan. 23. The second and final deadline in late March came at a cost of $6,000.

“We felt this horse would be more of a sprinter type and the longer we've had him and the more we've got to know him and race him, we've been just delighted with the results,” Russell said. “I love our horse. I feel good about the position we're in regardless, so I'm just excited to have our guy to walk over.”

Also a late Triple Crown nomination was Phillip Ward's Tiz Mandate, whose lone victory came in his unveiling last Nov. 22 at Laurel, a six-furlong maiden special weight sprint he won by a neck. He ran fifth in a strong edition of the Heft Stakes Dec. 26 that included No Cents, Kenny Had a Notion and Singlino to cap his juvenile year.

Tiz Mandate opened 2021 running fourth in the Spectacular Bid, beaten 3 ¼ lengths, then rallied to be second behind Maythehorsebwithu in the Miracle Wood. In both starts, the Strong Mandate ridgling got away slowly, something trainer Damon Dilodovico hopes to remedy with the addition of blinkers for the Tesio.

“We're hopeful that will help him out getting away from the gate,” he said. “He was primed for a big effort last time. Obviously your heart just sinks when you spot decent horses as many lengths as he spotted them. But I think it was just all about his focus. It was non-existent that day. We're hoping that the blinkers will have him more focused.”

Jevian Toledo will be up for the third straight race on Tiz Mandate, who has yet to try two turns, breaking from Post 2. They breezed a half-mile together in 50.60 seconds April 19 at Pimlico with Laurel's main track currently closed to workers during evaluation and renovation.

“He just does not seem to get tired. He just keeps looking for more. Once you start running against some of these horses, maybe that'll change,” Dilodovico said. “The way he's coming into this race is not the fairest way to bring him into it, but we still have confidence in him. So, we'll see what happens.”

ZWP Stable, Inc. and Non Stop Stable's Shackled Love is entered for a shot in the Tesio. The gelded son of Preakness winner Shackleford had a maiden win and two seconds among his first five starts before stepping up to stakes company in the Private Terms. He pressed pacesetting even-money favorite Maythehorsebwithu from the gate, took a narrow lead in mid-stretch and dug in to the wire for a 21-1 upset.

“It's amazing how things sometimes work out,” trainer Gary Capuano said. “We stuck him in and looked at the race. His numbers fit with the race and he's been improving, so it was worth taking a shot. He had a good post position, the whole thing. It looked like he could be competitive in there if he ran his race.”

Apprentice Charlie Marquez climbs back aboard from Post 7.

Completing the field are Excellorator, Zertz and Royal Number, respectively third, fifth and sixth in the Private Terms; and The Reds, exiting a fifth in the one-mile Gotham (G3) March 5 at Aqueduct for New York-based trainer John Kimmel.

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The $125,000 Federico Tesio headlines seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses on the Spring Stakes Spectacular program Saturday, April 24, originally scheduled to be run at Laurel Park. With the ongoing evaluation of Laurel's main track, live racing has been shifted to Pimlico effective Thursday, April 22.

Laurel's spring meet, delayed seven days to an April 8 opening amid an equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) quarantine, was scheduled to run through May 2. The Preakness Meet at Pimlico is scheduled for Thursdays through Sundays through May 31, with no live racing Sunday, May 16, or Thursday, May 27, and a special Memorial Day holiday program Monday, May 31.

The 1 1/8-mile Tesio – named for the noted Italian breeder, owner and trainer whose homebreds Nearco and Ribot dominate Thoroughbred bloodlines around the world – debuted at Pimlico in 1981 and stayed every year but two through 2015. Laurel Park hosted the Tesio in 1987 and 1989 and each year since 2016.

For the sixth straight year, the Tesio will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes Saturday, May 15. Among the horses under consideration are Grade 2 winner Brooklyn Strong, Grade 3-placed Tarantino, stakes winners Hello Hot Rod and Maythehorsebwithu, and stakes-placed Tiz Mandate.

All five horses are Triple Crown nominated, with Laurel Park-based Maythehorsebwithu and Tiz Mandate's eligibility coming at the late March 29 deadline. Shackled Love, another Laurel horse that beat Maythehorsebwithu in the March 13 Private Terms, is also being pointed to the Tesio.

Laurel-based trainer Lacey Gaudet was an assistant to her late father when Eddie Gaudet won the 2011 Tesio at Pimlico with Maryland-bred Concealed Identity, owned by his wife, Lacey's mother Linda, along with Morris Bailey. Sheldon Russell, still part of Maryland's jockey colony, was the rider.

The Tesio was actually the second straight win at Pimlico for Concealed Identity, a two-length triumph over Ruler On Ice, who would go on to capture the Belmont Stakes (G1). It would be the only Preakness appearance for Eddie Gaudet, patriarch of one of Maryland's best-known and respected racing families.

“I remember my mom and I discussing, 'OK, this is our goal. If he can win going two turns, and then win the Tesio, we'll go to the Preakness. It was the local prep and it we decided that if we won it, we'd go,” Lacey Gaudet said. “It was fairly cool. There was a lot of personal sentiment at the time. Sheldon had rode him for us and if you watch the replay when he comes past where we stand in the regular winner's circle at the wire, Sheldon kind of pointed over at us.

“He won convincingly,” she added. “Sheldon pointed at us as he crossed the wire for the Tesio because it was like, 'OK, guys. We get to have fun now.' It was really cool and it definitely gave us a confidence booster that he won over the racetrack. He was essentially the only horse going into the Preakness winning two in a row and at the track. It was exciting.”

Serving as the Tesio's co-headliner on the Spring Stakes Spectacular program is the $125,000 Weber City Miss, a 'Win and In' qualifier for 3-year-old fillies to the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Friday, May 14 at Pimlico. Each of the first four Weber City Miss winners since its 2016 debut have gone on to run in the Black-Eyed Susan including Lights of Medina, second by a head in 2017. Grand Cru Classe did not race in last year's Black-Eyed Susan.

Spring Stakes Spectacular includes a pair of $100,0000 dirt sprints, Frank Y. Whiteley for 3-year-olds and up and Primonetta for fillies and mares 3 and older. With the change in venue, the Whiteley has been shortened from seven to six furlongs, same as the Primonetta.

Also scheduled are the first three turf stakes of the year – the $100,000 Henry S. Clark for 3-year-olds and up and $100,000 Dahlia for females 3 and older, both at a mile, and $100,000 King T. Leatherbury for 3-year-olds and up, carded for 5 ½ furlongs at Laurel but to be contested at five furlongs at Pimlico.

The Preakness highlights a program of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.25 million Saturday, May 15 that includes the 120^th edition of the $250,000 Dinner Party (G2) for 3-year-olds and up on turf, Pimlico's oldest stakes race and the eighth-oldest in the country, debuting in 1870.

Other graded-stakes on the Preakness undercard are the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) for 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs, $150,000 Gallorette (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles on the grass, $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and $100,000 Arabian Derby (G1) for Arabian 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.

A total of six stakes, four graded, worth $1 million in purses help comprise the May 14 Black-Eyed Susan Day card, including the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 3/16 miles, $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs, and $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles.

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The Private Terms, contested at about 1 1/16 miles, and $100,000 Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies going one mile are the co-headliners on a Good Samaritan Day program featuring five stakes worth $450,000 in purses.

Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Maythehorsebwithu avenged a neck loss to Kenny Had a Notion in the Jan. 16 Spectacular Bid with a front-running four-length triumph in the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 20, a race where Kenny Had a Notion ran third. Trained by Brittany Russell, the son of Grade 1 winner Bullsbay was second in the First State Dash at 2.

Russell also trained and co-owned Hello Hot Rod before the Mosler colt was purchased by George Sharp for $335,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky mixed sale Feb. 9 and moved to trainer Shawn Davis, based at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. Hello Hot Rod has won three straight races including the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield Jan. 31 at Aqueduct.

Pocket 3's Racing's Shackqueenking, by Preakness (G1) winner Shackleford, already owns two wins at 1 1/16 miles, breaking his maiden Nov. 28 and capturing the Howard County Dec. 26, both at Laurel, for local trainer Gary Capuano. He ran eighth in the 1 1/8-mile Withers (G3) last out Feb. 6.

Another nominee exiting the Withers, where he finished fifth, is E.V. Racing Stable's Eagle Orb. The son of Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Orb trained by Rudy Rodriguez won the Notebook against New York-breds in his juvenile finale before opening 2021 running second in the Jerome prior to the Withers.

Ten horses were nominated to the Private Terms off last-out wins, including the pair of Sainthood and Unbridled Honor, trained by Hall of Fame trainer nominee Todd Pletcher; and Zertz, a front-running 11 ¼-length allowance winner Feb. 17 at Penn National.

Lucky 7 Stables' six-time stakes winner Street Lute and Team Gaudet and Five Hellions Farm's Fraudulent Charge, second to Street Lute in back-to-back stakes, are among 27 horses nominated to the Beyond the Wire. Street Lute is on a five-race win streak, all in stakes, but has never raced beyond seven furlongs for trainer Jerry Robb.

Fraudulent Charge has raced three times, all at seven furlongs, breaking her maiden first time out and rallying to get within a nose of Street Lute in the Gin Talking Dec. 26 at Laurel. Most recently, she came with a wide run but fell a length short of Street Lute in the Feb. 20 Wide Country.

BB Horses' Miss Leslie, second in the six-furlong Xtra Heat to Street Lute Jan. 16 and sixth in the Wide Country, stretched out to win the 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County Dec. 26 in her juvenile finale for Maryland's four-time defending training champion Claudio Gonzalez. Country Life Farm's Moonsafe was nominated off a 15 ¼-length maiden score Feb. 27 at Laurel.

Pletcher nominated Shadwell Stable's homebred Zaajel, undefeated in two career starts. The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense broke her maiden by 7 ¼ lengths Dec. 20 and debuted at 3 winning the Forward Gal (G3) Jan. 30, both going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Tom Amoss, a multiple Grade 1 winner of more than 3,800 races, nominated four horses including My Trusty Cat winner Littlestitious and Save, unbeaten in two starts.

Also prominent among nominees are Buckey's Charm, second in the Anne Arundel County and fourth in the Wide Country; last-out winners Dollar Mountain, Hybrid Eclipse, Into Vanishing, Promise the World, Proper Attire, Slumber Party and Song of Innocence.

The $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles attracted 24 nominations including multiple stakes winners Alwaysmining, Cordmaker and Forewarned; Grade 2 winner Shotski; Tattooed, winner of the Jan. 16 Jennings at Laurel and second in the General George (G3) Feb. 20; 2020 Fire Plug winner Honor the Fleet and Galerio, second in the Jennings and Feb. 20 John B. Campbell.

Older Maryland-bred/sired sprinters will go six furlongs in the $75,000 Not For Love featuring graded-stakes winners Laki and Still Having Fun, and Whereshetoldmetogo, a back-to-back stakes winner at Laurel to end 2020 awaiting his seasonal debut; and seven furlongs in the $75,000 Conniver for females with multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter and Kiss the Girl and Coconut Cake, respectively 2-3 in the one-mile Geisha Jan. 16.

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“My agent Charlie Allen, who was at Fasig-Tipton, picked him out,” Sharp said Tuesday evening from his Scottsdale, Arizona, home. “He picked out a few horses and I watched Hot Rod's races and the horse has a lot of guts. He seems to be a little immature still, but I like horses who look like they can improve. And this is definitely one of them.”

Hello Hot Rod won back-to-back starts at Laurel late last year and was coming off a gritty victory in the Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct just days before the Fasig-Tipton auction.

“I have high hopes for him,” Sharp said of the 3-year-old colt. “It might be a little too late to get to the Derby, but hopefully the Breeders' Cup where he will have a choice of races that we can get him into.”

Hello Hot Rod is expected to head west and arrive at the Turf Paradise base of trainer Shawn Davis this weekend.

“We will evaluate him over a week or two and work him and check his maturity level,” Sharp said of plans for his latest acquisition. “The Turf Paradise Derby, which is a 3-year-old $50,000 stakes, is on Mar. 12. If we feel he needs an easy spot to braven up, we might put him in there. But it is possible, if we feel he is strong enough, that we might go to a different Derby prep, or pre-Derby prep. And then see how he does. Or we can just go to the Turf Paradise Derby and then decide if we are going to do a Derby prep.”

Davis, a three-time world champion saddle bronc rider and a member of the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame, trains 2018 GIII Aristides S. winner Chief Cicatriz (Munnings).

“We are here [at Turf Paradise] for now, until April or May, and then we are going to decide if we are going to either Kentucky or California or Texas,” Sharp said of plans for the Davis stable. “It's more likely that the barn is going east than west. And if we do it make it to Churchill [for the Derby] by some fluke of a chance, then we will probably just head that way a little earlier.”

Sharp is an investor and in mergers and acquisitions, as well as conducting investigations into stock market fraud. His first involvement in racing came in the Standardbred industry in the late 1990s.

“I was living in Los Angeles at the time and I was racing at Los Alamitos and then there was no more racing at Los Alamitos,” Sharp said. “So I raced around the country for a little while, but it consumed my life a little too much. The Standardbreds race every week and I always had a race somewhere in the country. I was traveling too much and neglecting the rest of my life. So I took a little siesta from the business and then I went into Thoroughbreds in 2015.”

Sharp currently has 13 horses based at Turf Paradise, plus one runner in California. He also has two broodmares in California.

“I'm in the business of racing,” he said. “I raise them to race them.”

Sharp said he is passionate about his horses and isn't afraid to get a little emotional after a special win. He scored his first victory at Del Mar with League of Shadows (Gotham City) in a 2019 allowance contest.

He said of that experience, “League of Shadows is a horse who has had a lot of health issues. I spent $60,000 to save his life once, but I love my animals. It's what I do. But if you watch the TVG replay, they interviewed me afterwards and I was very emotional in the winner's circle. You save a horse's life and then he goes and wins an allowance race, it's very emotional. I don't think I would be emotional if I won the Kentucky Derby, but that horse winning that race was a big deal to me.”

Sharp's stable includes a 2-year-old half-sister to League of Shadows who he hopes to see go postward later this year.

“I wouldn't mind getting a couple of older horses for some of the minor stakes around,” Sharp said of plans for his stable. “But they have proven to be very difficult to buy or even claim. I've been out-shook on so many claims at Santa Anita, I've been on a cold streak. I missed out on another 3-year-old that I really coveted. So today, I was just determined I was not going to lose.”

Sharp said Hello Hot Rod's $335,000 price tag was “by far” the most expensive horse he had ever purchased. But the colt wasn't Sharp's only purchase Tuesday. He also purchased a 2-year-old filly privately, spending $250,000 for a daughter of Daredevil out of stakes winner Jaws N' Paws (Onebadshark).

“The second most expensive horse I've bought was the filly I bought this morning,” Sharp said. “She is coming to Turf Paradise. They tell me she is the absolute real deal. She's already breezing, so we'll see how she progresses and then make a decision on her. It's going to be a fun year.”

And Sharp is more than ready to welcome Hello Hot Rod to Arizona.

“We are already planning some Hello Hot Rod giveaways, the obligatory hats, and he'll probably have a Twitter account by the end of the week,” Sharp said.

He concluded, “I like the business. I have always liked the business. It's not exactly a good investment, but it's more fun than I could ever possibly have imagined.”

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As an owner, Russell hopes to experience similar success when Hello Hot Rod goes through the ring Feb. 9 on the second of Fasig-Tipton's two-day winter mixed sale in Lexington, Ky. The sale begins both days at 10 a.m. ET.

Russell co-owns Hello Hot Rod, a 3-year-old Mosler colt out of the Tiznow mare Hello Now, with Dark Horse Racing. Consigned by ELiTE Sales, he is cataloged as Hip No. 672.

Hello Hot Rod fetched $10,000 out of Fasig-Tipton's 2019 Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. He has won three of four starts and $113,941 in purse earnings.

“This is a business and it just seemed like sort of a good business move after winning the stake up there. I have some friends between Fasig and ELiTE sales and I thought it was a good move,” Russell said Thursday. “Naturally, I'd love to have him in the barn and keep him and race him, and maybe that can still happen, but we're going to put him through and just see what happens.”

Hello Hot Rod debuted running second by a neck to Doubleoseven in a six-furlong waiver maiden claimer last Oct. 30. He returned to capture a similar spot going seven furlongs Nov. 13 by 4 ½ lengths, then stepped up to win a one-mile optional claiming allowance triumph by 2 ¼ lengths Dec. 13 in his juvenile finale. All three races came at Laurel.

“He's the right kind. This is the right kind of horse at this time of year,” Russell said. “He's won at a mile. He already has that, and he's a stakes winner. He's done nothing wrong. That's what it comes down to. He's a racehorse.”

Hello Hot Rod was a determined front-running head winner of the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield, the first time he didn't go off as the favorite. He returned to Laurel later that evening, ahead of the winter storm that gripped the New York and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas.

“He's awesome. We got lucky with the snow. It started later up in New York so we were able to get him home right away,” Russell said. “He's wonderful. You wouldn't even know he ran. He trained this morning and he's in good form.”

Russell has Wonder Stables, Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables' Little Huntress in the seven-furlong Ruthless for 3-year-old fillies Feb. 7 at Aqueduct. A 14-length maiden special weight winner Dec. 27 at Laurel, the Frosted filly is also nominated to Laurel's $100,000 Wide Country going seven furlongs Feb. 13.

Little Huntress drew Post 4 in the Ruthless against just four other rivals.

“I entered Little Huntress in the Ruthless this morning because it [is] a short field. We're going to take a look at it and, obviously, we're going to heavily consider running Sunday there,” Russell said. “If we opt to skip, she'll run here in the stakes next week.”

Meanwhile, Russell will send out Cash is King, D.J. Stable and LC Racing's Mine Not Mine in Friday's eighth race, a one-mile allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 4-year-olds and up where the Golden Lad colt drew Post 3 in a field of seven and is 6-1 on the morning line.

Mine Not Mine ran third in a similar spot going 1 1/16 miles Jan. 1, his first start in 216 days after finishing 10^th of 11 as the favorite in an open one-mile allowance last May. The winner of that race, Toy, also beat Mine Not Mine in his New Year's Day comeback.

“We were tickled with his last race. To be honest, he was far from being tight to go two turns … meaning he was at least two works short,” Russell said. “He could have used a little bit more, but he was doing well and he was working well so we thought, let's just give him a race and that should really put him right for this next race.”

Mine Not Mine, also by Golden Lad, made his first two starts for trainer Claudio Gonzalez. In his first two starts after being sold for $210,000 in December 2019 and moved to Russell, Mine Not Mine ran second and third, respectively, to the Gonzalez-trained Lebda in the 2020 Miracle Wood and Private Terms at Laurel.

“He's a horse that we've had high expectations for from Day 1 and he's had some hiccups along the way. You're just kind of hoping that every time you run him, maybe this is his chance to shine,” Russell said. “He seems like he's great right now. He's on good foot in the morning so I certainly expect to see a good effort from him.”

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Russell and Dark Horse Racing's Jodi Quinn already had a favorable impression of the son of Mosler before they purchased him for $10,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October Yearling Sale. They had purchased his half-sister Hello Beautiful (Golden Lad) for $6,500 at the Midlantic December Mixed Sale the previous year.

“Hello Beautiful had just broken her maiden at the time he was being sold, but we really liked her and we knew she had some ability,” Russell said of the colt's appeal as a yearling. “He had good bone on him, he was a good-looking little horse. He had a few minor flaws that we could deal with, so it was nice we could get him bought for that price back then.”

Shortly after they purchased Hello Hot Rod, Hello Beautiful won the Maryland Million Lassie S. and the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship. She has since added wins in the 2020 Maryland Million Distaff and Safely Kept S. and opened 2021 with a win in the What a Summer S.

Despite his half-sister's accomplishments, Russell kept her initial expectations for Hello Hot Rod in check.

“I think when you buy a horse like that for that kind of money, you don't have those high expectations,” Russell said. “You just hope you are going to have a useful racehorse. It's a nice price where, if they're going to be a lower level horse, you paid just $10,000. And if they are a nice horse, it's great because you only paid $10,000.”

But Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, knew early on the colt had talent.

“My husband does all the work on my babies in the morning and he had been on him in the morning and he liked him,” Russell said. “He said, 'This is going to be a pretty decent little horse, we'll have fun with him.'”

Hello Hot Rod got his racing career off to a promising start, closing to miss by just a neck in a six-furlong waiver maiden claiming race at Laurel Oct. 30.

“You'd love to win first time, but we were kind of just trying to give him a run and he nearly got his first start won,” Russell said. “Sheldon took him back and taught him something and he came with a run and nearly won it. He probably needed that race, anyway, from a physical standpoint.”

The dark bay colt came back to win by a front-running 4 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs in similar company Nov. 13 and added a one-mile optional claimer tally Dec. 13.

“We sort of expected for him to come back and win the way he did,” Russell said of Hello Hot Rod's second start. “And I thought he would like the mile and he did everything right in that allowance race as well.”

Hello Hot Rod jumped up to the stakes ranks for his sophomore debut and went wire-to-wire in the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield S., digging in gamely in the final strides to keep his nose in front on the wire (video).

“I loved him to be fair, but you don't love the one hole going seven-eighths, so that was a concern,” Russell said of expectations going into the race. “But [jockey] Trevor [McCarthy] and the horse handled it and got the job done. It's tough in the winter, these winter tracks are hard racetracks for horses to run on and he jumped out of there and he showed some speed and he kept going. He showed he's a tough racehorse and that's what you want.”

The idea of selling the colt had been percolating for some time before the final decision to enter him in the Fasig February sale.

“I had some interest [in buying him] after he broke his maiden,” Russell said. “Actually after both of his wins, we had some interest. It's kind of the goal in the game, right? To make a $10,000 horse into a more expensive horse. This is how you make money in the game, it's a tough game.”

She continued, “We own 50% of him and it was always in the back of our minds that we might try to sell him. I'd love to keep him in the barn, naturally, but I have some friends who work with Fasig and we bounced some ideas back and forth. After he won, it just seemed like maybe a smart business move.”

While the decision to sell may be a smart business move, Russell agreed it was still an emotional one.

“Oh absolutely, I love him,” she said. “He means a lot to us. We have his sister in the barn and he's our other big horse, so to see him go will be sad. But who knows, maybe we'll end up getting him back in the barn.”

Russell sees plenty of upside for potential buyers in the newly minted stakes winner.

“He's very easy to train and he's sound,” Russell said. “He's not a bleeder, so moving forward with what we are dealing with with Lasix, I think that's a huge attribute. And I think he'll go farther. He's smart, he has a good mind on him. He can go or he can sit, so as the races get longer, he has options. I think that's going to be a huge thing.”

Asked how Hello Hot Rod exited his first stakes win, Russell said, “Awesome. He's in great form.”

The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday at the company's Newtown Paddocks. Each session begins at 10 a.m.

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“Hello Hot Rod is an exciting addition to our Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning.  “It is rare for a 3-year-old colt, coming off a stakes win, to be offered at this time of year.  He is the 'now horse' for those that want a colt for the Kentucky Derby trail.”

Sessions of the sale will take place starting at 10:00 a.m. in Lexington, KY Feb. 8 and 9. Visit www.fasigtipton.com for more information.

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Hello Hot Rod, cataloged as hip 672, will be consigned as a racing prospect by ELiTE, agent. The 3-year-old son of Mosler has won three consecutive races for trainer/co-owner Brittany Russell and partner Dark Horse Racing LLC. Making his stakes debut in the Jimmy Winkfield, Hello Hot Rod overcame the rail draw to win in game wire-to-wire fashion. Although the colt is a registered Maryland-bred, his win in the Jimmy Winkfield was against open company.

Hello Hot Rod now has three wins and one second in four career starts, and earnings of $113,941.  He is a half-brother to Hello Beautiful, a multiple stakes winner of $377,110. His female family includes graded stakes winners Hello Liberty and Significant Form.

“Hello Hot Rod is an exciting addition to our Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “It is rare for a 3-year-old colt, coming off a stakes win, to be offered at this time of year.  He is the “now horse” for those that want a colt for the Kentucky Derby trail.”

The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale will take place this Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 8-9, in Lexington, Ky. Sessions begin daily at 10 a.m.

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The nine furlong event over the Big A main track is the next local prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and offers the the top-four finishers points based off a 10-4-2-1 scale.

Third time was the charm for Overtook, who graduated on December going a one-turn mile at the Big A for trainer Todd Pletcher – a three-time winner of the Withers. The son of Curlin came from 10 lengths off the pace with a six wide move nearing the three sixteenths and drew off a two-length winner under jockey Eric Cancel, while garnering a 70 Beyer Speed Figure.

Since his maiden score, Overtook breezed once over the Belmont Park training track, competing a half-mile work in 48.70 seconds on Jan. 3.

“He's come out of his maiden win in good shape and he's been training well,” said Pletcher's assistant trainer Byron Hughes. “I think he's earned a chance in that race at this point in his career.”

Bred in Kentucky by Hill 'N' Dale Equine Holdings and Phillip Steinberg, Overtook is out of the G1-winning A.P. Indy broodmare Got Lucky, who also was conditioned by Pletcher. He was purchased by his owners for $1 million at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“He's bred for the two turns,” Hughes said. “She [Got Lucky] was a two-turn horse. She was a very classy filly and the further the better for her so we're hoping that he is the same way.”

Following a distant fourth on debut at Belmont Park, Overtook was third behind stablemate and subsequent graded stakes-placed Known Agenda going the Withers distance on Nov. 8 at Aqueduct.

BTR Racing and Dark Horse Racing's Hello Hot Rod has handled a stretch out in distance in each of his first three career starts and could continue that trend in his next outing in his stakes debut, trainer Brittany Russell said.

After winning at seven furlongs on Nov. 13 and capturing a one-turn mile on Dec. 13 at Laurel Park, Hello Hot Rod could also be a possibility to compete in the G3 Withers on Feb. 6 at the Big A.

The Mosler sophomore ran second by a neck to Doubleoseven in a six-furlong debut sprint on October 30 at Laurel. Russell kept Maryland-bred Hello Hot Rod at the same track for his next two starts, where he registered a maiden-breaking effort by 4 1/4 lengths before posting a 2 1/4-length victory over next-out winner Shackqueenking as the even-money favorite last month in an allowance optional claimer.

The 1 1/8-mile Withers would mark the first two turn race of Hello Hot Rod's career and would allow him the opportunity to compete in a Kentucky Derby prep race that offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers. Russell also said the $100,000 Miracle Wood contested at one mile on Feb. 13 at Laurel remains a possibility as well.

“He seems like distance shouldn't be an issue forward,” Russell said. “We could wait for the Miracle Wood. We nominated around to give ourselves some options. They both are options. We're just going to get him back on a work schedule and see how he moves forward from there.”

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