Santa Anita Derby Winner Roadster Retired to Ocala Stud

Roadster (Quality Road–Ghost Dancing, by Silver Ghost), winner of the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and runner-up in the GI Malibu S., has been retired and will stand the 2023 breeding season at Ocala Stud.

Racing in the colors of Speedway Stables, the $525,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase earned 'TDN Rising Star' status on debut for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert as a juvenile and was also third in the GI Del Mar Futurity.

“Roadster is all class, and he was an exciting colt on the racetrack,” said Ocala Stud's David O'Farrell. “He was an extremely precocious juvenile, breaking his maiden in his debut and then placing in a Grade I [Del Mar Futurity] to eventual champion Game Winner in just his second start. The following year, Roadster proved he was a serious racehorse with a tremendous win in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby, turning the tables on Game Winner. He competed against the best of his generation throughout his career, and we are excited to offer breeders the opportunity to breed to a top-class son of Quality Road who has the looks, pedigree, and performance to be a leading stallion.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, Roadster posted a record of 16-3-4-2 and earnings of $901,500. By leading sire Quality Road, Roadster is out of the stakes-winning Silver Ghost mare Ghost Dancing. He is a half-brother to Grade I winner and Keeneland track-record setter Ascend (Candy Ride {Arg}) and the graded stakes-placed Moro Tap (Tapit).

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Captain Bombastic Best In Polynesian Stakes At Laurel

Team Hanley's Captain Bombastic, a New York-bred son of Forty Tales trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Feargal Lynch, pulled away from Grade 1 winner Roadster down the stretch to win the $100,000 Polynesian Saturday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

A 10-1 longshot, Captain Bombastic's victory was his first under the shedrow of Hall of Famer Asmussen. The colt was previously trained by Chad Brown and Jeremiah Englehart. Captain Bombastic covered the mile in 1:36.11, winning by a length over Cordmaker, who was disqualified from second and placed sixth for interference down the stretch. Phat Man, who finished third, was placed second.

The Polynesian victory capped a big day for Asmussen and Lynch. Just 30 minutes earlier, Jalen Journey, trained by Asmussen and ridden by Lynch, was placed first in the $200,000 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash after winning favorite Wondrwherecraigis was disqualified from first for interfering with Jalen Journey down the stretch.

“It was a great day,” Lynch said. “Getting put up is never ideal. You don't want to win that way. But sometimes you're the windscreen and sometimes you're the bug.”

Toby Sheets, assistant trainer to Asmussen, said of Captain Bombastic: “He had been training well. We gave him a bit of a break and lightened up on him and he came right back around. [Lynch] saw a hole and probably thought he should go for it after the last race.”

Captain Bombastic, whose last victory came in August of 2020 in the New York Stallion Stakes, was fourth in last year's Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and sixth in the Grade 3 Chick Lang at Pimlico. On Saturday, in his second start for Asmussen, the 4-year-old raced third down the backstretch behind a :23.68 opening quarter set by Roadster and Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith, riding at Laurel for the first time since 2007. Approaching the turn, Lynch saw an opening along the rail and guided Captain Bombastic to the front. Roadster stayed outside Captain Bombastic past a :47.05 half mile and poked his nose in front again around the turn. But Lynch took the lead back entering the stretch and Roadster couldn't keep up.

“With Steve's horses, you don't get in their way and you just get good position,” Lynch said. “When Mike left the rail open, it was either go in there or take back. But Steve's horses…they're warriors. It's so hard to describe. You look at their ears, they're flat back and they want to win more than anybody.”

Roadster, a $525,000 yearling in 2017, was a highly regarded juvenile and later a Kentucky Derby contender after winning the 2019 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby for trainer Bob Baffert. But that victory has remained his last trip to the winner's circle. He came into the Polynesian off a fourth-place finish in April in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs.

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Hall Of Fame Jockey Mike Smith Makes Rare Appearance At Laurel Park This Saturday

His Hall of Fame career has taken jockey Mike Smith quite literally around the world. His next stop – and first in more than 14 ½ years – brings the affable 56-year-old to Laurel Park.

Based in California since 2000, Smith will be in town Saturday with three mounts on the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) program led by Grade 1 winner Roadster in the $100,000 Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up.

Smith is also named on 4-year-old filly So Darn Hot in the $100,000 Twixt for females 3 and up, like the Polynesian contested at one mile, and 2-year-old filly Tiger to Remember, a second-time starter that is third on the also-eligible list in Race 7, a one-mile maiden special weight scheduled for the Bowl Game turf course.

According to Equibase statistics, it will be Smith's first time at Laurel since winning the Barbara Fritchie Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) Feb. 17, 2007. A career winner of 5,623 races and more than $336 million in purse earnings, Smith owns a 32-6-6-4 lifetime record at Laurel with $823,190 in purses earned.

“The first time I ever rode at Laurel I won the [1990] Barbara Fritchie on a filly named Amy Be Good for [trainer] Timmy Kelly. That was probably the first time I ever went to Laurel,” Smith said. “It was a long time ago. I'm looking forward to seeing it. I haven't been there in so many years, it's crazy. I'm glad to be heading back.”

Smith is no stranger to Maryland, having ridden in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at historic Pimlico Race Course 19 times since 1984 with two wins – Prairie Bayou (1993) and Triple Crown champion Justify (2008). He has also run second twice and third four times, and in May finished ninth aboard Concert Tour.

“It's always great to get to Maryland,” Smith said. “I wish I had more time. I'm actually going to land, go right to the track, ride and [head] right back out again. I always love to stay and hang out and have some dinner there if I can and get some crabcakes. I always have a good time.”

In addition to Laurel, Smith is looking forward to his reunion with Speedway Stables' Roadster. The 5-year-old son of Quality Road has had Smith up for six of his 13 starts with three wins, two seconds and a third, highlighted by a half-length triumph in the 2019 Santa Anita Derby (G1) that earned him a trip to the Kentucky Derby (G1), where he ran 11th.

An impressive debut winner under Smith in July 2018, Roadster ran third in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) in his only other start at 2. Smith and Roadster were also second in the 2019 Affirmed (G3) and third in the San Carlos (G3) last March at Santa Anita in their most recent start together.

“I've had a lot of back success with Roadster. He's on his comeback trail, so I'm really excited about riding him,” Smith said. “We expected more out of him than what he's shown, because the ability's there. He's shown it in some of his races and he's shown it in the morning, we just haven't been able to get him to do it on a consistent basis.

“He's had his little setbacks and that's kind of been his problem, these minor little setbacks that put him back just a little bit,” he added. “With time off now and making his comeback we're going to see if we can get out of him what we know is in there.”

Bred by Stone Farm and purchased as a yearling for $525,000 by Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner of Speedway, Roadster will be making just his fifth start in the last three years and first since a fourth in the April 30 Alysheba (G2).

Trained for most of his career by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, he came back after more than a year between races to run fourth in the March 20 New Orleans Handicap (G2) for Mike Stidham, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. He ran the Alysheba for Baffert before returning to Stidham's care.

“First time I rode this colt, man, I thought a whole lot of him. I certainly thought he was a Derby horse, and he made it to the Derby,” Smith said. “He won the Santa Anita Derby but after that he kind of went backwards on us. Since then he's shown some spark but I know what's in there. I know what I felt before in the past.

“I'm just happy to get back on him and see if we can get him back to where I know he's supposed to be, and that's one of the top older horses in the country. He's that kind of horse,” he added. “He's shown us that already, so it's not like we're looking for something we haven't seen. It's just a matter of if we can get him back on track.”

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Known as 'Big Money Mike' for his success in big races as part of a quality over quantity approach to riding the past several years, Smith has 18 wins from 132 mounts in 2021. Ten of those wins have come in graded-stakes including the Just a Game (G1) with Althiqa and Del Mar Futurity (G1) with Pinehurst. He also won the San Felipe (G2) and Sham (G3) with Life Is Good, Summertime Oaks (G2) and Delaware Oaks (G3) with Crazy Beautiful and Santa Maria (G2) and Santa Margarita (G2) with As Time Goes By.

“I'm doing well, man. I feel great. I keep myself in amazing shape. I started out the year extremely well and then they all kind of went by the wayside. They either were retired or got hurt or something happened,” Smith said. “So, were trying to rebuild. I've got a couple really good young 2-year-olds so I'm excited about those. And now, with Roadster coming back. Hopefully I stay on Life Is Good, as well. If I can get all those back, we're back strong again.”

The 30th running of the six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up highlights Saturday's 11-race program, featuring defending champion Laki and recent Saratoga stakes winner Wondrwherecraigis, both based at Laurel, as well as Grade 1-placed Jalen Journey trying to give Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen his fourth sprint stakes victory in Maryland this year.

Also on the card is the $100,000 Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs led by multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful. All four stakes are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

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MATCH Series: Former Triple Crown Contender Roadster Continues Comeback In Polynesian

Speedway Stables' Grade 1 winner and one-time Triple Crown contender Roadster will be making just his fifth start in the last two years and first on the East Coast as he continues his comeback in Saturday's $100,000 Polynesian at Laurel Park.

The 17th running of the Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up and the 39th edition of the $100,000 Twixt for fillies and mares 3 and older, both at one mile, are among four stakes worth $500,000 in purses on an 11-race program headlined by the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3).

Also on the card is the $100,000 Weather Vane for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs. All four stakes are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

Roadster, bred by Stone Farm and purchased by Speedway's Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner for $525,000 as a yearling, won the 2019 Santa Anita Derby (G1) and has placed in four other graded-stakes during a 13-race career that began in California with trainer Bob Baffert.

Far behind first-place finisher Maximum Security following a wide trip around both turns in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Roadster rebounded to run second behind stablemate Mucho Gusto in the Affirmed (G3). He ran three more times at 3, sandwiching a fourth in the Native Diver (G3) between seconds in the Damascus and Malibu (G1).

Roadster ran twice at 4, and went unraced between a runner-up finish in the San Carlos (G2) last March and a fourth – beaten less than a length – in the New Orleans Handicap (G2) March 20 at Fair Grounds, his first start for trainer Michael Stidham. He has been off again since a fourth in the April 30 Alysheba (G2), again for Baffert, before being returned to Stidham at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.

“He had a little bit of a setback after his last race. He's had foot issues throughout his career, and we got his feet back in good order. Right now he's doing really well,” Stidham said. “He ran fantastic the first time for us.

“He went back out to Baffert and they brought him back to Churchill and he didn't run well there so we stopped on him and got him straightened out,” he added. “We hope that we have him where we want him now.”

Overall Roadster has three wins and $888,500 in purse earnings from 13 career starts, running third in the 2018 Del Mar Futurity (G1) in his second career start. He has a total of five breezes since mid-August over the dirt and all-weather surfaces at Fair Hill, where Stidham said he has thrived.

“There's synthetic and dirt [tracks] and we have turf gallops out back and everything you could ask for. That's the beauty of it,” he said. “He is a real quality horse [with] a ton of talent, but he's had lots of stops and starts in his career with throat surgery early on as a 3-year-old and then foot issues. Obviously you don't want to run a horse like that unless they're 100 percent and that's where we think we have him now.”

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has the call on Roadster from Post 6 in a field of seven. According to Equibase statistics, Smith hasn't ridden at Laurel since Feb. 17, 2007 when he won the Barbara Fritchie Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) on Oprah Winney.

Also with graded-stakes credentials in the Polynesian are Cordmaker and Phat Man. Hillwood Stable's Maryland-bred Cordmaker ran third in the 2018 and 2019 Pimlico Special (G3) and is 10-time career winner with six stakes including the 2019 Polynesian for Laurel-based trainer Rodney Jenkins. In his most recent start, he beat fellow Polynesian entrant McElmore Avenue in the 1 1/16-mile Victory Gallop Aug. 23 at Colonial Downs.

Marianne Stribling, Force Five Racing and Two Rivers Racing Stable's Phat Man has won at least one stakes in four of the last five years led by the 2020 Fred W. Hooper (G3) at Gulfstream Park over 13 rivals including ill-fated runner-up Zenden, who would go on to set a track record in the March 27 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in his final start.

Phat Man, 7, has raced seven times this year with two wins including the Battery Park July 10 at Delaware Park. Last time out he ran third, beaten less than three lengths by Code of Honor in the 1 1/16-mile Iselin (G3) Aug. 21 at Monmouth Park.

“He's doing really good. He won the stake at Delaware two races back and then he ran into Code of Honor at Monmouth. He was hung out wide the whole way,” trainer Kent Sweezey said. “The pace didn't set up for him just right so we're hoping the one-turn mile at Laurel will help him out a little bit and have some pace to run into. And whether it's one turn or two turns, I think he's definitely better at a mile.”

Phat Man owns four wins and two seconds in 11 tries at one mile. He has won four stakes and placed in seven others, including seconds in the 2020 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), 2019 Harlan's Holiday (G3), 2018 Tenacious and 2017 Super Derby.

“We've run him in Grade 1s and taken him all over the country. I kind of said, 'Why don't we go back to what was really working, and that was picking up checks for [$]100[,000].'” Sweezey said. “If we can look up at the end of the year and he's won three or four stakes races for us, wouldn't that be cool?

“He's always showed up for us,” he added. “Knock on wood, he's stayed really sound. He's just a good boy.”

Completing the field are multiple stakes winners Alwaysmining, back on dirt after three tries on the turf, and Captain Bombastic, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen; Victory Gallop runner-up McElmore Avenue and Tappin Cat, a winner of two straight for trainer Gary Capuano.

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Full of Fun Racing and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 3-placed Dreamalildreamofu, exiting a trouble-filled last month, chases her second career stakes win in her return to Maryland for Saturday's $100,000 Twixt.

Trained by reigning Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, the 4-year-old daughter of Commissioner was beaten 1 ½ lengths when second in the 1 1/8-mile Allaire du Pont (G3) May 14 at historic Pimlico Race Course after racing on or near the pace.

“She ran big there,” Cox said. “[It's] a one-turn mile this time. She normally has enough speed to put herself in the race and, hopefully, with a good trip she'll be effective.”

Third by a length in the seven-furlong Chicago (G3) over Arlington Park's all-weather surface June 26, Dreamalildreamofu had a nightmare trip in her most recent start when she drew down inside and bumped the rail while in tight quarters and wound up 11th as the favorite in the one-mile Groupie Doll Aug. 15 at Ellis Park.

“She pretty much was eliminated the first eighth of a mile. She's rebounded with two good works since so we'll see how it goes, but she's doing well. She really is,” Cox said. “She's versatile. She doesn't have to have things a certain way or have a certain surface.

“It makes finding races for her a touch easier than most horses,” he added. “And, like I said, her last race was somewhat of a throwout, just a real tough trip from down inside. She seemed to re bound from it in good shape.”

Jevian Toledo rides from Post 7 in a field of nine.

A multiple stakes winner against fellow New York-breds, Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn, Script R Farm and trainer Michael Miceli's Mrs. Orb conquered open company with a come-from-behind victory in the 1 1/16-mile Caesar's Wish July 4 at Pimlico. Horacio Karamanos, aboard in that race, returns from Post 6.

“She kind of dropped a little farther back than I thought she would in that race, but she came running,” Miceli said. “She's doing well. We've been looking for a spot and this seems like it could be a logical move.”

Second in the Turnback the Alarm (G3) last November at Aqueduct, Mrs. Orb was third in her most recent effort, the Aug. 12 Saratoga Dew at Saratoga, following a wide trip and has worked twice since at Belmont Park.

“She ran well. She had a little bit of traffic problems in the race but she ran a good race. In trying to find a spot for her, Laurel's race looks like it could be OK,” Miceli said. “She's doing well right now, so hopefully she'll run a good race for us.”

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, riding at Laurel for the first time since 2007 according to Equibase statistics, has the call on Stetson Racing, Donato Lanni and Rita Riccelli's So Darn Not, a 4-year-old daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper trained by George Weaver. Last of 10 following a rough trip in last year's Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico, So Darn Hot was third last out in the 1 1/8-mile Summer Colony Aug. 22 at Saratoga.

Trainer Mike Trombetta entered the pair of R. Larry Johnson and R.D.M. Racing Stable's Lookin Dynamic, second to stablemate Kiss the Girl in the seven-furlong Conniver March 13 at Laurel, and NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods' Villanelle, fifth to Dreamalildreamofu in the one-mile Latonia March 27 at Turfway Park.

Multiple stakes winners Artful Splatter and Miss Leslie; Josie, winner of the July 3 Iowa Distaff for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen; and Off Topic, third in the 2019 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) for previous trainer Todd Pletcher and unraced in nearly a year, round out the field.

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