Tag: Rattle N Roll

Smile Happy To Whitney; Rattle N Roll To Wait For JCGC Or Pacific Classic

Trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy) for next Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Race Course, but his stablemate for the same owner, Rattle N Roll (Connect), will take his show on the road.

Both horses last raced in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1 at Ellis Park. McPeek said Rattle N Roll will target either the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga or the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Both races are run at 10 furlongs September 2 and are “Win and You're In” qualifiers for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Smile Happy, who captured the GII Alysheba S. May 5 at Churchill Downs, got his first glimpse of the Oklahoma training track Friday.

“He galloped really well this morning over the Oklahoma track,” McPeek said. “This was his first day here. We stood him in the gate, backed him out and gave him some gate schooling. He did well.”

Smile Happy last breezed July 22 at Churchill Downs, completing a half-mile move in 49 seconds.

“We've had plenty of work into him at Churchill. He had a work days ago with a long, strong gallop and I don't know that we'll breeze him at all,” McPeek said.

McPeek described the 4-year-old as a quirky horse that likes doing things his own way.

“He's a bit of an alpha. He wants to run the show, but the talent is unquestioned,” McPeek said.

McPeek said Smile Happy will be ridden by jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr.

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This Side Up: No Proxy For The One And Only

Unfortunately, they only have one Two Phil's (Hard Spun). If they had another, presumably making Four Phils in all, then they might yet have the consolation of a proxy in the big races through the second half of the season. As it is, we can only offer our sympathy to the heartbroken team around a horse that brought us such precious cheer during what is proving a challenging year for our sport.

Because that's the whole point, really. The big programs would be able to temper their disappointment, on losing the services even of a horse as accomplished as Two Phil's, with the likelihood that an equivalent talent will eventually come along. And it was precisely because the circle of friends who launched Two Phil's towards the top of his crop did so by such accessible investment–he's out of the only Thoroughbred ever purchased by the Sagan family, a $40,000 daughter of a failed stallion–that so many of us identified with their cause. They made us feel we all had a chance.

Two Phil's, moreover, had been progressing from a somewhat sentimental, blue-collar rooting interest to a perfectly credible candidate for what feels an open sophomore championship. He was the only contributor to the GI Kentucky Derby pace that managed to hang tough, and looked better than ever on his first start since in the GIII Ohio Derby last weekend. How maddeningly typical of this game, then, that even in opening up new horizons his owners should suddenly reach a dead end.

They must now regroup, clear their heads and find Two Phil's his best chance at stud. His maternal family contains its challenges, but that is true of a lot of good stallions and something, after all, is demonstrably functioning in his genetic make-up. There is an increasing burden on sons of War Front and Hard Spun to maintain the shortest available connection to their breed-shaping sire Danzig, and Two Phil's certainly bears an auspicious resemblance to his excellent sire. Both proved their adaptability by winning the same Derby trial on a synthetic surface, before proceeding to finish second at Churchill. On the right farm, I'm sure that Two Phil's has every chance of writing a new chapter in the fairytale; and his connections have played their cards too faultlessly to need any help in determining which farm might be the right one.

In the meantime, we must just thank them for introducing this authentic ray of sunshine into our present darkness. As I've noted before, that rogue apostrophe actually became part of what the horse stood for: a symbol of his quirky, aberrational advent among those who set expensive standards at the top of the market. He arrived as a defiant Chicago gesture, many in his entourage having been deprived of their natural habitat–and one of the jewels of the racing planet–by the closure of Arlington Park by the very people who host the Derby.

One of those cast adrift from Arlington was trainer Larry Rivelli, whose prospects of replacing the irreplaceable should at least be enhanced by having drawn national attention to gifts already well familiar on his home circuits. In this bittersweet week, indeed, Rivelli has saddled six winners from nine starters; and these included two “Derby” winners in one weekend, with Act A Fool (Oscar Performance) making it four off the reel in the Hawthorne Derby last Sunday. Hopefully Jareth Loveberry, also integral to the horse's development, will now be able to consolidate, as well, having earned his stripes all the way through from Great Lakes Downs.

Proxy (outside) wins the GII Oaklawn Handicap | Coady Photography

But if some of these guys end up never quite retrieving the same heights, at least they all seized their opportunity when it came. And they would surely choose the shorter ride they took with Two Phil's over the “better” luck experienced by many others, in being able to restore a horse to training after being derailed before the Classics?

It's not as though there's a piece of paper anyone gets to sign, but how would you choose between Two Phil's or a horse like, say, Proxy (Tapit)? Having disappeared for 10 months after trying to get to his own crop's Derby via the Fair Grounds trials, Proxy lines up for the GI Stephen Foster S. on Saturday as a mature horse, with every prospect of building on what for now remains a fairly marginal prizemoney edge over Two Phil's. Since his comeback, he has also availed himself of a Grade I (in the Clark last fall). He's an admirable creature, in a field replete with similar types. But if you were in a crew that might very well only ever have one shot at the big time, would you not be swung by the fact that every Thoroughbred foal, from the moment it slithers into the straw, has one chance–and one chance only–to take you on the walk over for the Derby?

In the winter of 2021-22, certainly, the McPeek barn wasn't dreaming of the 2023 Stephen Foster for Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect). The former at least made it to the Derby before his disappearance, but I'm delighted to see him back thriving now. He was bred by the charming Xavier Moreau, from a $57,000 daughter of Pleasant Tap. That was about as much as Xavier had ever spent on a mare, and tragically he lost her almost as soon as Smile Happy had emerged.

That's the thing about this game. Yes, absolutely, your little guys can beat the billionaires by breeding a Smile Happy, or a Two Phil's. But nor will they get any special treatment from Lady Luck, just because all their eggs might be in a single basket.

The only answer is an old one: “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.” If that can be in May, and get you anywhere near that blanket of roses, so much the better.

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McPeek Duo Looms Large in Stephen Foster

Kenny McPeek has managed to keep Lucky Seven Stable's talented pair Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) away from the same starting gate until now, but on Saturday the stablemates will meet for the first time in the GI Stephen Foster S. Set to run this year at Ellis Park, the mile-and-an-eighth contest drew a field of eight and is a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders Cup Classic.

Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll share more than a few similarities, but the main parallel is that the 4-year-olds are both on skyrocketing career trajectories with the potential for big summer campaigns ahead.

A 'TDN Rising Star' and the winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at two, Smile Happy was a contender leading up to the Kentucky Derby last year, but he settled for eighth on the first Saturday in May. After a long layoff, the son of Runhappy returned a winner at Oaklawn in March and finished third in the GII Oaklawn Mile S. before his breakout performance in the GII Alysheba S., where he earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure.

“This is a fantastic, talented horse,” said Kenny McPeek. “As a 2-year-old he didn't win a Grade I, but the Kentucky Jockey Club showed he had such raw talent. He needed an extended vacation after the Derby last year. He had a slight case of distal bone bruising, which is difficult to get a horse to rebound from quickly. We gave him a lot of time and he's come back a better horse. The race in the Alysheba showed how freaky talented he is.”

Allowing Smile Happy the time off to improve physically has been one key to his success this year, but another factor has been figuring the colt out mentally. McPeek explained that this trainee can be quirky, noting that the colt doesn't respond well to disruptions in his routine and requires some extra attention on race day.

“During the post parade, he wants to back up and then not come back to the gate,” McPeek shared. “So we learned a little trick to get him back to the gate. The race at Oaklawn [Oaklawn Mile] was a little bit short for him, but then we spaced off that and came into the Alysheba and now we've got the gate trick worked out. He tests you, this horse, but my goodness he's so talented. Figuring him out in the mornings has been tricky because at Oaklawn he didn't want to train, at Fair Grounds he trained well, and then we've figured out his number at Churchill. I don't see this horse training anywhere but Churchill probably for the rest of his career. When it's open, he'll be there.”

Rattle N Roll gets a pre-race mint and pep talk from his groom, Peter Soria | Sara Gordon

Fellow Lucky Seven Stables colorbearer Rattle N Roll also showed potential as a juvenile when he claimed the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, but he struggled to find the winner's circle early in his 3-year-old season. While he did not make the Kentucky Derby, he later claimed a trio of summer derbies including the GIII Oklahoma Derby.

After a brief layoff over the winter, Rattle N Roll returned this spring to run fourth in the GII New Orleans Classic S. at Fair Grounds and then launch a winning tear over the course of six weeks, claiming the GIII Ben Ali S., GIII Pimlico Special S. and GIII Blame S.

“He's been a good horse from the beginning,” McPeek said. “When he won a Grade I at Keeneland, we knew we had our hands on a really good one. He's a get-the-job-done type of horse. When Flavien Prat rode him in the Pimlico Special, he nailed it right on time. Then when he came back in the Blame at Churchill, once again, he got the job done. He had a really troubled trip in that race and won anyway. He's a very workmanlike, easy horse to be around.”

Never one to adhere to a training rule book, McPeek 'wowed' the crowd at Churchill Downs when Rattle N Roll won the Blame S. just two weeks after he got the nose at Pimlico. McPeek explained the reasoning behind the quick return to the races.

“I think today, especially with the no Lasix in a lot of these graded races, if you've got a horse and it's sturdy enough and they're eating well and they're doing well, I don't see any reason why they can't run or shouldn't run,” he said. “I'm not one that subscribes to, 'They have to be spaced six weeks in between races to run their best race.' I do believe that people buy their horses to race them as opposed to watching them train and then running sparingly. I suppose I'm going to be criticized by some by doing that and that's fine as long as we run well and we win.”

Some might even scratch their head at McPeek's choice to enter this duo in the same Grade I contest, but the veteran trainer said that he believes the race is the best spot for each colt as individuals.

“I think it was obvious that the race for Smile Happy was the Stephen Foster and we've been plotting for this one for a couple of months,” he shared. “We'd like to go Stephen Foster to Whitney. With Rattle N Roll and the series of wins he's had, the options for him were I could have taken him to the [Prairie Meadows] Cornhusker H., which would have been another Grade III, or I could have taken him to the Suburban S. in New York, which is a Grade II. It's a lovely race, but it's not two turns so I was a little bit concerned about changing his routine from two turns to one turn.  With a clear mind, it was the right spot for both horses.”

Rattle N Roll and Smile Happy were part of the first crop of yearlings that McPeek bought for the Mackin family's Lucky Seven Stable in 2020. Rattle N Roll was a $210,000 Keeneland September purchase for McPeek and Smile Happy was a $185,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings buy for Lucky Seven.

The Mackins have had success in the sport both individually and as a family over several decades, but campaigning a pair of top-level older dirt colts ranks near the top of their accomplishments.

“The Mackin family has been in the game for 30 or 40 years,” McPeek shared. “They love racing, between Mike, Craig, Jeff, Jay and their sister Kim. Their mother and father made seven, but both have passed away. I'm sure that their mother and father would be really thrilled to know the kind of success they're having and we're going to try to keep it going for them. They're wonderful people and really deserve this kind of success.”

Smile Happy looks to get his first Grade I win in Saturday's GI Stephen Foster S. | Sara Gordon

McPeek will be looking to earn his first Stephen Foster victory on Saturday.

Rattle N Roll drew the fourth position and will team up with his regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. Alongside him in the five hole, Smile Happy will be ridden by Corey Lanerie, who was aboard for the colt's sophomore campaign last year.

The field also includes GII Oaklawn H. one-two-three finishers of Godolphin's Proxy (Tapit), Last Samurai (Malibu Moon)–who subsequently ran fourth in the Alysheba–and California-based Stilleto Boy (Shackleford). Ron Moquett's Speed Bias (Uncle Mo), who came close to besting Rattle N Roll in the GIII Pimlico Special, dominant GII New Orleans Classic winner West Will Power (Bernardini), and Lothenbach Stables' Happy American (Runhappy) round out the race.

Also on Saturday at Ellis Park, McPeek will be represented in the GII Wise Dan by Camp Hope (Summer Front). The 5-year-old Walking L Thoroughbreds representative was winless in his first four starts this year, but he scored in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs in June.

“He's been really solid,” McPeek reported. “He won the Bryan Station S. at Keeneland as a 3-year-old. He didn't have a great 4-year-old year, but he seems to be coming back to form as a 5-year-old and his last race was superb. Brian [Hernandez Jr.] has figured him out and really rides him well.”

Camp Hope will have to take on Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who is defending his Wise Dan title from 2021 and comes in off a win in the GIII Arlington S. on June 3. The 7-year-old Juddmonte homebred is trained by Brad Cox, who has won three of the last four editions of the turf contest.

GIII Arlington S. runner-up Get Smokin (Get Stormy) and third-place finisher Harlan Estate (Kantharos) will also vie for contention in the 10-horse field.

Rounding out the graded stakes action at Ellis on Saturday, the GII Fleur de Lis S. drew seven fillies and mares headlined by Grade I winners Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) and A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

The McPeek-Mackin partnership will be represented by one last stakes contender over the weekend and it's one that McPeek is more than happy to discuss.

V V's Dream was Mitole's first North American winner when she dominated in her juvenile debut on May 19 at Churchill Downs. Completing five furlongs in :57.91, her 6 1/4-length score earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors.

“V V's Dream is any kind of horse,” said McPeek. “I mean, that filly is really high-level talented.”

The $190,000 Keeneland September purchase is owned by Mike Mackin's MJM Racing and she will return to the starting gate on Sunday for the Debutante S.

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Stephen Foster Preview Day Headlines Saturday’s Graded Action

Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll (Connect), winner of this term's GIII Ben Ali S. Apr. 22 and GIII Pimlico Special S. May 19, is the horse to beat returning on short notice in Saturday's GIII Blame S., the featured race on “Stephen Foster Preview Day” at Churchill Downs. The $1-million GI Stephen Foster will now be held four weeks later at Ellis Park.

The Ken McPeek-trained 2021 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner will face seven rivals from his rail draw, including the re-opposing Ben Ali second and third-place finishers Call Me Fast (Dialed In) and Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile); and grassy MGISW Santin (Distorted Humor), who makes his first career start on dirt.

The 11-race Churchill Downs program also includes: the GIII Arlington S., led by 8-5 morning-line favorite and MGSW 7-year-old gelding Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}); the GIII Shawnee S., featuring the streaking Frost Point (Frosted) and GISW Pauline's Pearl (Tapit); a field of six 3-year-old fillies in the grassy GIII Regret S.; the return of last out G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Sibelius (Not This Time) in the $225,000 Aristides S.; and the $225,000 Audubon S. for 3-year-olds on grass.

Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel), meanwhile, figure to vie for favoritism in Belmont's GII Pennine Ridge S. The former, 11th in the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas May 6, came within a nose as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland Nov. 4. Far Bridge suffered his first career defeat falling just a nose short while making his stakes debut in the GII American Turf S. on the GI Kentucky Derby undercard.

The Alys Look (Connect), a respectable third at 30-1 for trainer Brad Cox in the GI Kentucky Oaks, makes her first start for Chris Davis in the GII Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita. The Ike and Dawn Thrash colorbearer faces six rivals, including GII Santa Anita Oaks second and third-place finishers And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate) and Window Shopping (American Pharoah); and last-out seven-furlong optional claiming winners Anywho (Bolt d'Oro) and Doinitthehardway (Street Sense).

A pair of graded stakes will also take place at Woodbine–the GIII Belle Mahone S., highlighted by the return of Canadian Horse of the Year and Queen's Plate S. heroine Moira (Ghostzapper); and a field of 11 for the GII Royal North S.

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