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C Z Rocket Rolls To Fourth Straight In Pat O’Brien Stakes At Del Mar

Tom Kagele's C Z Rocket, a classy, old veteran who seems to have found a new lease on life since he was claimed by trainer Peter Miller for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park in April, continued his rebirth at Del Mar Saturday when he went gamely through the stretch to capture the Pat O'Brien Stakes by half a length at the seaside track near San Diego, Calif.

The 6-year-old gelded son of City Zip won his fourth race in a row since the claim, the previous three having come against claiming and allowance company in Kentucky. He picked up a check for $90,000 from the $150,000 purse in the Grade II stake that pushed his bankroll up to $431,641.

The bay ran the seven furlongs in 1:22.25 and, as the 11-10 favorite, paid $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board. Finishing second was Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing's Flagstaff, while Dan Agnew, Gerry Schneider and John Xitco's Law Abidin Citizen ran third.

“We saw that he'd been breaking slow in his races, so we were prepared for that,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “But he broke well today and we were right in the race. Then the pace wasn't that fast (:23.10 :46.04 1:10.06), so we were right there. When I asked him, he was good. He's a willing horse.”

The victory added more accolades to an accolade-filled summer for his rider and trainer. Prat registered his 12th stakes win of the meet, just one away from the Del Mar record of 13 set by Rafael Bejarano in 2012. Miller picked up his fifth stakes win of the session and his meet-leading 22nd tally in the 21st day of racing.

“He broke well and usually he doesn't,” said Miller. “The pace was slow and Flavien had him in the perfect spot. Tom Kagele (owner) actually called me (about claiming the horse) and I said, 'His form is bad right now, but he's a runner.' You could see he had run some really fast races. I like old class horses that have shown talent. If you can get them going in the right direction they can run back to

The O'Brien was a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” race guaranteeing the victor entry into the $2-million BC Dirt Mile with all fees paid. That race will be run on Saturday, November 7, at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

In the day's Pick Six bet, a two-day $247,091 carryover stirred the pot and drew $1,167,066 in “new” money to the pool. After Facts Matter paid $9.00 for winning the 11th and final race on the card, there were 147 tickets with all six winner, each paying out $5,941.60. There will be a “Jackpot” carryover into Sunday's card of $186,553.

Racing resumes Sunday starting at 2 p.m. PT. There also will be a Monday racing card this week with the same 2 p.m. post.

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Ward Eyes Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf After Campanelle’s Prix Morny Victory

Stonestreet Stables LLC's Campanelle (IRE) led from start to finish to win the Darley Prix Morny (G1) in style at Deauville in France on Sunday. The victory secured her a guaranteed start in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 6-7.

Campanelle stepped up in class following her victory in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot to score her first Group 1 success in the six-furlong Darley Prix Morny. The 2-year-old filly was quickly into stride and raced prominently under Frankie Dettori to win by two lengths in testing ground conditions.

Royal Ascot Coventry Stakes (G2) winner Nando Parrado (GB) ran another big race to place second, with fellow British challenger Rhythm Master (IRE) a neck back in third.

Campanelle, the 8-5 favorite, remains unbeaten in three starts and provided her trainer Wesley Ward a third win in this race, following the victories of Lady Aurelia in 2016 and No Nay Never in 2013.

Dettori speaking to Sky Sports Racing, said, “I was very impressed with her in the Queen Mary. She has grown since Ascot and has a magnificent long stride. She coped with the ground but is much better on good ground. Wesley was very confident. I knew I had a good filly.”

The daughter of Kodiac (GB) out of the Namid (GB) mare Janina (GB), completed the six furlongs in 1:11.80 over a course listed as soft. She becomes the second horse to gain a “Win and You're In” berth into the Juvenile Turf Sprint this year, joining The Lir Jet (IRE) winner of the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot on June 19.

Bookmakers Betfair make Campanelle 5/1 for the one-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), with Wesley Ward eyeing the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket, before a likely start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November.

Ward said: “The Cheveley Park closes on Tuesday and I've spoken with Adrian Beaumont (International Racing Bureau), so we'll nominate for that to keep her options open. With a filly like this, it suits to space her races out. We had Hootenanny finish second in this race and he went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.”

“That would probably be more on the agenda, especially as the Breeders' Cup is on her home track at Keeneland. I think a two-turn mile will suit.”

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Campanelle to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, which will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will pay the entry fees for Campanelle to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf should her connections choose to enter that race instead of the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Breeders' Cup will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

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Laurel Park: Retired Jockey Trujillo Scores Initial Win As Trainer

Ejetero LLC's Voodoo Valley tracked pacesetting Chuck's Dream into mid-stretch, surged to the lead inside the eighth pole and drew off by 2 1/4 lengths to give ex-jockey Elvis Trujillo his first career victory as a trainer in Saturday's second race at Laurel Park in Maryland.

A 5-year-old gelding racing first time for Trujillo, Voodoo Valley ($15.60) ran one mile in 1:39.36 over a fast main track to earn his second career triumph from 22 starts in the claiming event for 3-year-olds and up.

It was the fourth career starter for the 36-year-old Trujillo, who ran sixth with Mystic Times in Friday's fifth race at Laurel. The Panama native was second with Confusion Baby Boy and fourth with Eje Gama in his training debut Aug. 9 at Monmouth Park.

Trujillo was not in the winner's circle for Voodoo Valley's photo, choosing to stay back at the barn with Ejetero's Lady Rozina, who ran fifth in Saturday's fourth race. Trujillo has eight horses stabled on the Laurel backstretch.

“It feels so good, brother. It's amazing. Everybody is watching and everybody is jumping. I am so happy,” Trujillo said. “It's so good. It's good for me, it's good for my family. It's good for everybody.”

Breaking from the far outside, Chuck's Dream was sent to the lead and held it through fractions of 24.10 seconds for a quarter-mile and 47.08 for the half, opening up by as many as six lengths while jockey Luis Garcia kept Voodoo Valley in the clear in second. Voodoo Valley began to gain ground midway around the turn and straightened for home with sights set on the leader, steadily grinding away through the lane to gain the advantage on Chuck's Dream, who held second over Just Chill Out.

Voodoo Valley had not run since running fourth in a 1 1/16-mile claimer Aug. 1 over a muddy Laurel track for previous trainer Jonathaniel Badillo.

“He surprised me today,” Trujillo said. “He was training good an everything, but the last time when he finished fourth he had an issue that we had to figure out and take care of. Thank God he got it done today. He ran great and Luis gave him a great ride.”

A 2000 graduate of Panama's Laffit Pincay Jr. jockey school, Trujillo first came to the U.S. in November 2001, landing in Southern California after riding 90 winners in his home country and Mexico City. He spent time on circuits in Chicago, Florida and New Jersey, winning meet titles in 2007 at the former Calder Race Course and 2009, 2011 and 2012 and Monmouth Park.

Trujillo won 2,102 races and more than $70 in purses between 2001 and 2018. He came to Maryland to ride full-time in the fall of 2017 at the behest of his uncle, Laurel-based trainer Jose Corrales, after spending that summer riding in China. Trujillo won 28 races over the next four months, including the General George (G3) aboard Corrales-trained Something Awesome, before injuring his ribs and sternum in a three-horse spill March 10, 2018. Once healed, he considered a comeback to riding before ultimately transitioning into a new career.

In all, Trujillo won 45 career graded stakes, five of them Grade 1, including his breakthrough victory in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint aboard Maryfield, on whom he also won the Ballerina (G1). His best horse was Presious Passion, teaming up to win six graded stakes and nearly $1.9 million in purse earnings from 2007-10.

Trujillo said he had a lot of help making the career change, including his uncle, his wife Raquel, Badillo and Abel Castellano, the brother of Hall of Famer Javier Castellano who also transitioned from jockey to trainer.

“I feel so good, man,” Trujillo said. “Everybody helped me a lot and supported me so much in making the big change.”

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Red King Holds Off United With Rispoli’s Perfectly Timed Ride In Del Mar Handicap

Jockey Umberto Rispoli rolled the dice, making a six-wide move toward the lead aboard Red King with a half-mile to go in Saturday's Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, then had just enough left to hold off the late charge of odds-on favorite United and Flavien Prat in the 1 3/8-mile turf fixture at the seaside track north of San Diego.

The victory in the $200,000 race gave Red King – owned by Little Red Feather, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte – an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7 as part of the “Win and You're In” Challenge Race Series that also provides a travel allowance to winning horses traveling to Kentucky.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Red King covered 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:15.75, winning for the seventh time in 28 lifetime starts. This was his second stakes win since D'Amato claimed him for $25,000 in February 2019. Earlier this year the English Channel 6-year-old horse won the 1 3/4-mile, G3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita.

United finished second, with Originaire closing for third and Proud Pedro fourth in the field of 11 older runners.

Red King paid $10.60.

Longshots Big Buzz and Ward 'n Jerry carved out the slow early fractions, going :25.07, :49.94 and 1:15.09 for the first six furlongs. Rispoli swung Red King to the outside in the run down the backstretch, moving toward the leaders after a mile in 1:40.07. He took command from North County Guy at the top of the stretch, opened up a lead and just lasted over United for the win.

“I didn't like how slow they were going, so I decided to move earlier today,” said Rispoli. “It takes a really good horse to do that, but I knew he had the stamina. I did this when I was riding in Europe. It was close at the finish because he was trying to pull h imself up. I am very happy. This horse gave me a Grade 3 win in his last start, and today he gave me a Grade 2. I want to keep it going with him.”

The stakes win was the seventh of the meet for Rispoli, riding his first seaon at Del Mar. It was the first of the meet for D'Amato but his fourth straight (and sixth of the last seven) in the Del Mar Handicap. He now has 27 stakes wins at Del Mar.

“I could see going along the backstretch Flavien (on United) was on the inside and Umberto was about to make that move on the outside. (Rispoli) timed in perfectly. I give all the credit to him. After the last race he was so high on this horse. He chose Red King over Originaire and that gave me a lot of confidence that he felt the horse was climbing up the ladder and to win this race is really special.”

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