Lone Rock Sets Track Record In TAA Stakes Win At Del Mar

Lone Rock, 2021's master of the long-distance dirt race, posted his sixth win of the year in the 1 5/8-mile Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at Del Mar. On the Breeders' Cup undercard, the 6-year-old gelding set a track record of 2:42.61, breaking the record for the rarely contested distance that has stood since 1957.

Coming off a last-out second in the Grand Prix American Jockey Club at Belmont Park, Lone Rock stayed a length off frontrunner Tizamagician from the break, biding his time throughout the marathon TAA Stakes. Locally Owned, who beat Lone Rock in the Grand Prix last-out, was third, with Cupid's Claws and Hapi Hapi rounding out the field. On the final turn, Lone Rock made his bid for the lead, pulling even with Tizamagician entering the stretch, as Locally Owned tired and fell back.

In the Del Mar stretch, Lone Rock took the lead easily, striding away from Tizamagician to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Cupid's Claws came on for third. Hapi Hapi and Locally Owned rounded out the order of finish. Find this race's chart here.

Lone Rock paid $5.00, $2.80, and $2.10. Tizamagician paid $2.60 and $2.10. Cupid's Claws paid $2.60.

Winning jockey Ramon Vazquez pledged to donate 10% of his earnings from his mounts on Breeders' Cup Saturday to the family of jockey Miguel Mena, who was killed in a pedestrian accident in Louisville, Ky., earlier this week.

“No special instructions for me. He just said to ride him like you know how. I had a good trip all the way. I was very confident in my horse and he was running well. At the eighth pole, I asked and he ran hard. He's a good horse,” Vazquez said after the race.

“It played out the way we thought it would. We expected (Tizamagician) would go and we would make him use a little bit to clear us. Then when it was time, he likes it on the outside and we could go get him. This is such a good horse. He makes our jobs easy,” Sean Williams, trainer Robertino Diodoro's assistant, told the Del Mar Press Office after the TAA Stakes.

Bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms, Lone Rock is by Majestic Warrior out of the Hard Spun mare Ruby Lips. The gelding is owned by Flying P Stable and R.A. Hill Stable. Lone Rock was consigned by Taylor Made Sales and sold to Shortleaf Stable for $55,000 at the July 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale. With this win, the 6-year-old gelding has six wins in eight starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 13 wins in 36 starts and career earnings of $1,024,921.

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Locally Owned Upsets Lone Rock In Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational Stakes

Since trainer Tom Morley claimed Locally Owned in February, the 5-year-old gelding had seen the inside of the winner's circle only once in five starts until Saturday, when the son of Distorted Humor made his rail trip in the 1 5/8-mile Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational Stakes a winning one. Under jockey Dylan Davis, Locally Owned bided his time in last throughout the early running, picked up his pace on the final turn, and took over the front early in the stretch at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

With Lone Rock going into the gate as the 1-9 favorite, all eyes were on the last-out winner of the Birdstone at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. After a clean break, Mo Gotcha took the lead, with Lone Rock stalking him, Davis sitting chilly on Locally Owned in last. Lone Rock stayed close to Mo Gotcha throughout the first mile, poised to bid for the lead coming out of the final turn as Davis moved Locally Owned on the rail.

Into the stretch, they were three across briefly with Locally Owned finding his closing kick as Mo Gotcha tired. Lone Rock made his bid on the outside, but could not find enough to catch the winner, who crossed the wire a length in front. Mo Gotcha, Chris and Dave, and Empty Tomb rounded out the field.

The final time for the 1 5/8 miles was 2:44.60. Find this race's chart here.

Locally Owned paid $39.00 and $4.10. Lone Rock paid $2.10.

Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in Kentucky, Locally Owned is out of the Pulpit mare Fiftyshadesofhay. Owned by Flying P Stable, the gelding has two wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 24 starts and career earnings of $461,431.

 

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