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Arkansas Derby An Asmussen Family Affair As Super Stock Posts $26.40 Upset

Getting a perfect trip under Ricardo Santana Jr. behind dueling front-runners Caddo River and Concert Tour, Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's Dialed In colt Super Stock took command in the stretch for a 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Winning for just the second time in eight career starts, Super Stock ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.92 and paid $26.40. Brad Cox-trained Caddo River, who battled with previously unbeaten Bob Baffert-trained Concert Tour throughout the Arkansas Derby, finished second ahead of that rival by a head. Get Her Number, who like Super Stock was an also ran behind 1-5 Arkansas Derby favorite Concert Tour in the G2 Rebel Stakes on March 13, finished fourth, another half-length back.

The Arkansas Derby was the final qualifying points race for the 2021 Kentucky Derby, offering 100-40-20-10 to the top four finishers.

The victory was the fifth in the Arkansas Derby for trainer Steve Asmussen, who was awarded victory in a division of last year's running with Basin following the disqualification of Charlatan due to a failed drug test. He also won with Creator in 2016, Curlin in 2007 and Private Emblem in 2002. The five wins ties Asmussen with Todd Pletcher for the most victories in the race by a trainer.

Caddo River, breaking from the two post under Florent Geroux, gunned for the lead after the break. Concert Tour broke sharply from post five in the six-horse field under Joel Rosario but was not able to outrun his rival into the first turn, sitting just off Caddo River's flank around the bend and down the backstretch. The opening quarter mile was run in a quick :22.62 and the half mile went in :46.51.

Rosario stepped up the pressure going into the far turn after six furlongs in 1:11.25, while Santana and Super Stock saved ground just behind the two front-runners after breaking from the No. 1 stall. After rounding into the stretch, Santana opted to swing to the outside of both rivals rather than look for an inside route, and Super Stock responded, overtaking the two leaders in the final furlong after a mile fractional time of 1:37.64.

The win was a family affair for the Asmussens, as the trainer's father, Keith, a longtime respected horseman and former quarter horse jockey, is co-owner. Steve Asmussen's son, also named Keith, rode Super Stock in his first three starts during a brief riding career that mirrored his father's short tenure in the saddle before outgrowing the occupation. One of the races in which Keith Asmussen rode Super Stock was the colt's only previous victory in the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park last Aug. 11.

Bred in Kentucky by Pedro and P.J. Gonzalez, Super Stock is out of the Closing Argument mare, Super Girlie. He was a $70,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by Keith Asmussen and Erv Woolsey from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

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C Z Rocket Gets The Best Of Whitmore Again In Count Fleet Sprint Handicap

Winning for the seventh time in eight races since being claimed for $40,000 last April, the 7-year-old City Zip gelding C Z Rocket defeated sprint champion Whitmore for the second time in a row on Saturday, taking the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap by two lengths at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Ridden by Florent Geroux and trained by Peter Miller, C Z Rocket sped six furlongs in 1:09.62 on a fast track and paid $6 to win as the second choice in the wagering. He carried 122 pounds, one less than Whitmore, the 123-pound highweight.

Even-money favorite and local hero Whitmore, an 8-year-old by Pleasantly Perfect trained by Hot Springs resident Ron Moquett, finished second. Empire of Gold was third, another 1 1/2 lengths back, with Strike Power fourth, Mojo Man fifth, Mr. Jagermeister sixth and pacesetter No Parole last in the field of seven older runners.

The victory was the 11th in 25 career starts for C Z Rocket, who was bred in Florida by Farm III Enterprises LLC and sold for $800,000 to Frank Fletcher Racing Operations at the OBS June Sale of 2-year-olds in training in 2016.

C Z Rocket won his first three starts as a 3-year-old when racing for Fletcher and trainer Al Stall Jr. but was claimed from an April 30 race at Oaklawn that would be his 11th consecutive defeat. The City Zip gelding turned around quickly for Miller, winning a $50,000 claiming race at Churchill Downs, two allowance/optional claiming races and then scoring in the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar for his first graded stakes triumph. He then won the G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship but was defeated by Whitmore when second in the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland. C Z Rocket turned the tables on Whitmore last out in the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn, then doubled down with his Count Fleet victory.

C Z Rocket races for Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele.

In the Count Fleet, C Z Rocket broke well but was eased back off the pace in sixth as No Parole went quickly early, going :21.92 for the opening quarter and :45.35 for the half. Whitmore raced close to the front-runner down the backstretch and into the far turn and found a seam on the inside as the field hit the stretch.

Geroux swung C Z Rocket five wide at the top of the stretch and he quickly overtook the front-runners, winning with relative ease under a hand ride late from his jockey after passing the furlong pole in :57.53 for five furlongs.

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The Friday Show: Moonlighting On The Back Of A Pony

News editor Chelsea Hackbarth may be best known to readers of the Paulick Report for her feature stories and outstanding coverage of major races, but around Kentucky racetracks she's respected for her skills as a pony person escort, taking valuable Thoroughbreds out for morning training or afternoon races.

In this edition of the Friday Show, bloodstock editor Joe Nevills coaxes Chelsea to talk about some of her favorite moments in her “other” job, which she describes as taking horses to the starting gate “in as calm and safe a manner as possible with a 1,200-pound animal that is sitting on go. So it can be a bit of a challenge now and again.”

Chelsea took two-time European Horse of the Year Enable to the track for morning training at Churchill Downs and to the starting gate for her stirring victory in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf. She also recalls the “amazing amount of sound” she experienced ponying Uncle Sigh in the 2014 Kentucky Derby post parade after the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home” ends and the crowd erupted in a massive cheer. And of course there were those times she got to ride one of the most famous of the racetrack ponies, Harley.

We're sticking with the “homer” theme for Star of the Week, a 3-year-old Daredevil filly who won a $16,000 maiden claiming event recently at Gulfstream Park and is entered in the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track's third race on Friday.

A $16,000 claimer is Star of the Week, really? What we didn't say is that Sister Is Devil was the first pinhooking project for Chelsea and her business partner, Steph Settles, who joins Joe and Chelsea to talk about that experience buying the Daredevil filly as a January yearling and selling her for a modest profit nine months later. Joe rounds out the show with our weekly Toast to Vino Rosso and a profile of one of the arriving foals from the first crop of the son of Curlin.

This is one episode any horse lover won't want to miss. Watch below.

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Sadler To Keep Rock Your World In California To Train Up To Kentucky Derby

Rock Your World was on the wash rack at 7:30 Easter morning cleaning up as readily as he dusted off eight rivals in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in Arcadia, Calif., earning him a place on racing's biggest stage, the Kentucky Derby on May 1.

Trained by John Sadler for owners Kosta and Peter Hronis and Talla Racing, and bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife, Debbie, Rock Your World went to the front and never looked back, winning by 4 ¼ lengths, giving two-time Italian riding champion Umberto Rispoli his first Grade 1 victory in the United States.

Rock Your World, a son of Candy Ride out of the Empire Maker mare Charm the Maker, earned 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points with the victory and will attempt to become the 20th horse to run in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and go on to capture the Kentucky Derby.

“We're still enjoying this win,” Sadler said. “This is Easter Sunday, so Monday we'll look at the calendar (for an itinerary), but he would have a traditional California pattern where we'll train here and go to Kentucky the week of the race.”

It was Rock Your World's first race on dirt after two victories on turf, but Sadler always seemed confident the colt would make a successful transition to the main track.

“You're hoping, but it's one of those things, you don't know until you do it,” said Sadler, who is seeking his first victory in the Run for the Roses. “We're thrilled the way things worked out.

“I've never won the Derby, but last time I was there (at Churchill Downs) we won the Breeders' Cup Classic (in 2018 with Accelerate), so I'm looking forward to going back to Louisville.

“We've run four horses in the Kentucky Derby before but haven't won.

“Umberto has been a great addition to our jockey colony … I was kind of shocked hearing this was his first Grade 1 win here. He did so well last year I thought he would have picked up one already. He's a good kid, very competitive.”

Ditto for Rock Your World.

Baffert on runner-up Medina Spirit: 'Four weeks to sharpen him up'
Medina Spirit, a game second as the 9-10 favorite behind Rock Your World in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., came out of the race in good order and will attempt to give Bob Baffert his seventh victory in the world's most famous race on May 1.

“He ran a game race like he always does,” Baffert said of the $35,000 bargain son of Protonico. “The winner was very impressive, but our horse showed up, he ran his race, he came out of it well and we've got four weeks to sharpen him up.

“He'll be right there. He's always going to be tough; he tries hard all the time.”

Baffert also sent out maiden sprint winner Defunded in the race and the gelded son of Dialed In rallied to finish fourth.

“He got real tired towards the end,” Baffert said. “He wasn't ready for something like that but we had to take a chance at it. I don't know where I'll run him next.”

Meanwhile, Baffert has Rebel winner Concert Tour and runner-up Hozier set for this Saturday's Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

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