joel rosario | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Six Stakes Wins See Joel Rosario Voted Jockey Of The Week

Joel Rosario's amazing weekend at Keeneland included six stakes wins, three alone for trainer Wesley Ward, leading to Jockey of the Week honors for March 29 through April 4. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Rosario began opening weekend on Friday with mounts in eight of the nine races. His stakes haul started with the Palisades Turf Sprint aboard Chasing Artie for Trainer Wesley Ward. Rosario rallied Chasing Artie from last place at the top of the stretch to win over the favorite, Fauci, in 1:03.46 for 5-1/2 furlongs.

Next, trainer Shug McGaughey gave a leg up to Rosario on Scarlett Sky in the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3). Sent off as the third choice in the field of six, Scarlett Sky took control in deep stretch to win by a half-length in 1:43.89 in the turf contest.

Winning two stakes races at Keeneland is an accomplishment but Rosario was just getting started.

On Saturday, California-based trainer John Sadler tapped Rosario to ride Flagstaff in the Commonwealth (G3), a seven-furlong contest on the dirt. Flagstaff collared the leaders inside the sixteenth pole to draw off for 1-1/4 length victory in 1:21.84.

In the Shakertown (G2), Rosario rode Bound for Nowhere for trainer Wesley Ward. Off as the slight favorite in the field of 12 and racing in midpack outside of horses, Bound for Nowhere hit the front in the final strides over Imprimis and Paco Lopez stopping the teletimer in 1:02.19 for 5-1/2 furlongs over a “good” turf course.

Rosario's Grade 1 stakes double started with Malathaat in the Central Bank Ashland. Malathaat caught Pass the Champagne in the shadow of the wire in 1:42.94 for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Shadwell Stable. In the following race, trainer Wesley Ward engaged Rosario to ride Kimari in the Madison who surged to the front in midstretch to win by three-quarters of length in 1:21.53.

“Thank you to everyone: Wesley Ward, Todd Pletcher, everyone else who gave me an opportunity,” said Rosario. “It was an amazing day. I thought I had some chances to win but you never know, so it's just great to have the opportunities and be able to win.”

Rosario's weekly stats were 18-7-4-2 with a 38.9% win percentage and total purses earnings of $950,652.

Rosario out polled Irad Ortiz, Jr. who was leading rider by wins including six on April 3, Flavien Prat who won four stakes including the Santa Anita Oaks, Umberto Rispoli who won the Santa Anita Derby and Luis Saez who won three stakes at Keeneland including the Toyota Blue Grass and accounted for the stakes races Rosario did not win.

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Rosario, Saez Feasting On Stakes Diet At Keeneland

On Saturday's second day of the Keeneland Spring Meet in Lexington, Ky., jockeys Joel Rosario and Luis Saez combined to win nine races on the 11-race program and continue their domination of the young season. The two riders accounted for all nine stakes.

After two days of the Spring Meet, Rosario leads jockeys with seven wins, and Saez is second with six victories.

Rosario rode five winners Saturday, including four consecutive stakes: the Commonwealth (G3) on Flagstaff, Shakertown (G2) on Bound for Nowhere, Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Malathaat and Madison (G1) on Kimari. On Friday, he captured two stakes: the Palisades Turf Sprint with Chasing Artie and the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) on Scarlett Sky.

“Thank you to everyone: Wesley Ward, Todd Pletcher, everyone else who gave me an opportunity,” said Rosario about his performance Saturday in which he rode in nine races. “It was an amazing day. I thought I had some chances to win but you never know, so it's just great to have the opportunities and be able to win.”

Rosario joins Jerry Bailey (1999) and Javier Castellano (2016) as riders with a record six stakes victories during a Spring Meet. If he wins one of the 10 stakes remaining this season, Rosario will take sole possession of the Spring Meet record.

During the 2013 Spring Meet when he won a season record 38 races, Rosario also had two five-win days. He shares the five-win mark in the Spring Meet with five other jockeys.

The Spring Meet record for wins on one day is six, an achievement for three jockeys: Craig Perret (1990), Randy Romero (1990) and Julien Leparoux (2012).

On Friday, Saez rode Twenty Carat to win the Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select. On Saturday, he won four races topped by the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) on Essential Quality and the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association on Jouster.

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Red-Hot Rosario Rides Kimari To Her Initial Grade 1 Victory In Madison Stakes

Winning his fourth consecutive graded stakes on Saturday's program at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., Joel Rosario rode Ten Broeck Farm's Kimari to a popular victory in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes. The 4-year-old filly by Munnings came from just off the pace to win by about a length as the 3-5 favorite, covering seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:21.53. She paid $3.40 to win.

Estilo Talentoso, a 50-1 outsider, and Bell's the One finished in a dead heat for second, with Sanenus fourth and pacesetter Mundaye Call fifth in the field of seven older fillies and mares.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Kimari was winning for the sixth time in 10 career starts. Two of her losses came at Royal Ascot in England, where she finished second in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes in 2019 and second again in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup in 2020. Kimari has won on turf or dirt and on fast tracks and sloppy tracks. She was coming off an easy win in the slop at Oaklawn in the Spring Fever Stakes on Feb. 21, her first start since a third-place finish in the Music City Stakes on turf at Kentucky Downs.

The Madison victory was her first in a Grade 1 race.

Rosario had Kimari in a perfect spot throughout the Madison, sitting just off the lead of Mundaye Call through opening fractions of :22.90, :45.58 and 1:09.29. She took command inside the furlong pole and held sway by three-quarters of a length.

Rosario earlier won the G2 Appalachian Stakes on turf aboard Jouster for Todd Pletcher, the G2 Commonwealth aboard Flagstaff for John Sadler and the G1 Ashland Stakes aboard Malathaat for Pletcher.

Post-race quotes:

Joel Rosario (winning rider of Kimari)

“I wanted to sit a little bit behind the other horses. After she threw her head around a little bit, she was fine. (After she settled), she was running for me then, comfortable, just waiting to let her go.”

Wesley Ward (winning trainer)

“She was a little bit rank. She broke better than she usually does, which put her right into the race. On paper, there really wasn't a lot of speed up front. Everything went our way. As soon as she turned for home, he (Rosario) started riding her. I was a little worried the last part; I wasn't sure seven-eighths (of a mile) is really her game. But this is her track, and this guy (Rosario) is on fire. So we had all the luck with us today.”

Corey Lanerie (rider of Bell's the One, who finished in a dead heat for second with Estilo Talentoso)

“I was very proud of her. Neil (Pessin) brought her over and she was ready, as ready as you can get one for not running. She ran her heart out for me. I'm disappointed we didn't win but very happy with the way she ran. I'm looking forward to her next race, I think she's going to improve more and more.”

Neil Pessin (trainer of Bell's the One)

“(The winner) had a race on us this year. We were coming off the bench. That and maybe if we could have bounced to the outside instead of being inside between horses. I think she's a little better if she's out. That being said, the winner ran a big race. Hopefully we can turn the tables on her over at Churchill (in the Derby City Distaff-G1 on May 1.).”

Paco Lopez (rider of Estilo Talentoso)

“Ran a huge race.”

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