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Hot Rod Charlie, Medina Spirit Among Early PA Derby Noms

GSW Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) heads the early nominations for the Sept 25 GI Pennsylvania Derby. The nine-furlong marquee race for 3-year-olds highlights a stacked card which features eight stakes races, including five at the graded level. The Pennsylvania Derby was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.

“We're still a few works away, but we're real optimistic about Charlie's next stop, the Pennsylvania Derby,” said trainer Doug O'Neill. “The race looks to be coming up tough, which one would expect with a million dollars on the line.”

Winner of the GII Louisiana Derby earlier this spring, the colt finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby before placing second in the GI Belmont S. In his latest start, he crossed the wire first in the July 17 GI Haskell Invitational S. at Momouth, but was demoted to seventh after interfering with eventual winner Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), who is also among early nominees.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who has already registered a trio of Pennsylvania Derby wins with McKinzie (2018), West Coast (2017) and Bayern (2014), has a trio nominated for 2021. Medina Spirit (Protonico), winner of this year's GI Kentucky Derby, subsequently finished third in the GI Preakness S. He most recently returned to action with a win in Del Mar's Shared Belief S. Aug. 29. Other possibilities from the Baffert barn are MGSP Defunded (Dialed In) and SP Bobby Bo (Speightster).

“I like to see how they are doing and how they are training,” said Baffert. “Whoever is doing well, great. Then they will go. I'll let them tell me, how they're training. They are going to have to show me in the mornings. I have had a lot of luck there because I have brought really good horses up there.”

Also among early nominees: GI Runhappy Traver S. scorer Essential Quality (Tapit); GIII Dwyer S. winner First Captain (Curlin), third for trainer Shug McGaughey in his latest start in the Curlin S. at Saratoga; and Life Is Good (Into Mischief), runner-up in the Aug. 28 GI H. Allen Jerkens S.

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Haskell: O’Neill Hoping Removal Of Blinkers Makes The Difference For Hot Rod Charlie

He was third in the Kentucky Derby, then second in the Belmont Stakes. On Saturday, exactly six weeks after Hot Rod Charlie made his last start, the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park could be the breakout race where he crosses the wire in front the other six talented 3-year-old colts and notches his first Grade 1 victory.

“I sure hope so,” said Doug O'Neill, who trains the colt for the partnership of Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing and William Strauss. O'Neill was at the barn on the Monmouth Park backside with Strauss, the founder and CEO of Pro-Flowers.com, overseeing final preparations Friday morning after jetting in from his Southern California base.

Hot Rod Charlie is by 2013 Preakness winner Oxbow out of Indian Miss, making him a half-brother to champion sprinter Mitole. His pedigree is blessed with speed and the stamina to stay the 1 1/8 miles of the Haskell.

To give him an extra edge for this trip, O'Neill decided that an equipment change was in order.

The winner of the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby has worn blinkers in six of his last nine efforts, but will not race with them Saturday when he and jockey Flavien Prat depart from post 4 as the 6-5 morning line favorite in the field that includes Kentucky Derby runner-up Madaloun, the 2-1 second choice on the morning line; 3-1 Following Sea; 9-2 Midnight Bourbon, the Preakness runner-up; and three locally-based horses in the New Jersey-bred Pickin' Time at 20-1 and co-longshots Antigravity and Basso at 30-1.

“This time we're pulling the blinkers off, which is kind of a chancy thing since his form is so strong and he's heading the right way and now we're tweaking his equipment,” said O'Neill. “We've been breezing him without blinkers and Flavien is real excited about what we could see without them. He's got that (Derby) third, and then the (Belmont) second, and hopefully, a win is right around the corner.”

In addition to pulling down a seven-figure purse and earning a Grade 1 victory, the Haskell winner is guaranteed an all-expenses-paid spot in the starting gate for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic as part of the “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series presented by America's Best Racing. The 2021 Breeders' Cup on the first weekend in November is being contested at Del Mar, which is home for the O'Neill stable.

“That's a huge bonus as well. I hate to get too far ahead of us. It's a big day tomorrow and I couldn't be happier with the way he's coming into it,” he said.

Spendthrift Farm's homebred Following Sea was transferred to Todd Pletcher in May and he has turned heads by winning the last two of his three career efforts by a combined 12¼ lengths with Joel Rosario at the reins.

But the son of champion sprinter Runhappy is stretching out from 6½ furlongs and has never negotiated two turns. Moreover, he's taking a huge class jump from a first level allowance race all the way to this Grade 1 stakes.

“The rail horse (Following Sea) is a huge `X' factor,” said O'Neill. “It's his first time going this distance. He's been brilliant in his wins, and he's got Joel, who is a brilliant rider. I would think he'll make the pace and then it will be up to Flavien to judge where he wants to have Charlie.

“Midnight Bourbon is kind of an `X' factor, too, with Paco (Lopez) on him. I assume he'll be sent pretty hard, too. Even though it's a short field it's an interesting jockey race.”

While Hot Rod Charlie is looking for his first Grade 1 win, his trainer hopes to garner his first Haskell trophy in his fourth try. 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist was fourth in 2016, Handsome Mike finished fourth in 2012, and Excessivepleasure was seventh in 2003 for O'Neill.

“At this stage Charlie does seem like he's getting better and better and with a little bit of luck there are a lot of chapters left to be written in his book,” O'Neill said. “We're excited for the second half of the 3-year-old season, and the Haskell is a big test for us. It's an honor to be here, and I feel grateful that I'm here with this horse.”

The post Haskell: O’Neill Hoping Removal Of Blinkers Makes The Difference For Hot Rod Charlie appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Matured’ Hot Rod Charlie Could Run Without Blinkers In Haskell

Third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont Stakes, Hot Rod Charlie has been confirmed for the G1 Haskell Invitational on July 17 after a six-furlong work in 1:11.60 this Friday, reports bloodhorse.com. The 3-year-old son of Oxbow will breeze at Santa Anita again on July 9, then fly east the following day.

Trainer Doug O'Neill was extremely pleased with the colt's penultimate breeze, for which jockey Flavien Prat was aboard. Hot Rod Charlie went without blinkers, as he has several times this year, and O'Neill is strongly considering removing the equipment for the Haskell.

“It's one of those deals where the blinkers helped him focus and become the racehorse he's become, but as he has matured, Flavien says he seems very happy without them,” O'Neill told bloodhorse.com. “We're hoping that obviously with some of these stretch duels that racing without them will tip us over onto the winning end of a stretch duel. We just wanted to try it in the mornings. So far, it's been a good experience. As it stands right now, more than likely 'Charlie' will run without blinkers in the Haskell.”

Work of the Day from @santaanitapark, Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie (Inside) and Foothill (Middle) and Leonard Powell's Gypsy Spirit (Outside) worked on July 2nd, 2021. @1stbet pic.twitter.com/ZUQXPwsioq

— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) July 2, 2021

The Haskell is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Del Mar. Other top 3-year-olds under consideration for the nine-furlong contest include Mandaloun and Rombauer.

Pacific Classic, Haskell Among Options for Hot Rod Charlie

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), runner-up to favored Essential Quality (Tapit) in last Saturday's GI Belmont S., returned to the track at his Santa Anita base Friday. The colt arrived from the East Coast Wednesday night.

“He jogged a mile and a half and looked fantastic,” trainer Doug O'Neill said. “He was happy and full of energy.”

Regarding the GII Louisiana Derby winner's next possible engagement, O'Neill said, “The [GI] Pacific Classic at Del Mar is a possibility [Aug. 21], the [GI] Haskell at Monmouth is possible [July 17] as is the [GI] Pennsylvania Derby [Sept. 25]. There are tons of possibilities and options.”

He added, “Deciding on his next race is a group effort. No one wants to say much right now..it's the old cliche, 'We'll see where 'Charlie' takes us,' and we really can't know that until we see how he is on the track, eating, and all that stuff, so in a couple weeks we'll have a better idea.”

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