C Z Rocket Punches Breeders' Cup Ticket in Pat O'Brien

Claimed for $40,000 in April at Oaklawn Park, C Z Rocket racked up a four-race win streak Aug. 29 and punched his ticket to the Breeders' Cup with a determined score in the $151,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar.

The 6-year-old City Zip gelding is undefeated since he entered trainer Peter Miller's program and was making his first start in the graded ranks for owner Tom Kagele. He was bet down to even money in a field of seven, but he had to work for the win on the way to the wire as rivals Flagstaff and Law Abidin Citizen put up a fight.

Law Abidin Citizen showed the way in the seven-furlong sprint, a Breeders' Cup Challenge event for the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). He clicked off fractions of :23.10, :46.04, and 1:10.06 with Flagstaff in close pursuit, while C Z Rocket tracked along in third under Flavien Prat.

While Flagstaff put in a bid at the head of the lane and looked poised to take over, Prat made his move three wide, and C Z Rocket found another gear.

"We saw that he'd been breaking slow in his races, so we were prepared for that," Prat said. "But he broke well today and we were right in the race. Then the pace wasn't that fast, so we were right there. When I asked him, he was good. He's a willing horse."

The duo caught Flagstaff late for a half-length win in a final time of 1:22.25 on a fast track. Law Abidin Citizen held for third, three-quarters of a length back, followed by Blameitonthelaw, Giant Expectations, Manhattan Up, and P R Radio Star. Vertical Threat was scratched.

Campaigned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and trainer Al Stall Jr. through his first 17 starts until he was claimed by Miller and Kagele April 30, C Z Rocket improved his record to 8-1-2 from 21 starts, with earnings of $431,641. His previous best finish in graded company was a fourth in the 2018 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, followed by a fourth in the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

"Tom Kagele actually called me (about claiming the horse), and I said, 'His form is bad right now, but he's a runner,'" Miller said. "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 past form. Tom claimed him and the rest is history."

C Z Rocket was bred in Florida by Farm III Enterprises out of the Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah and was an $800,000 purchase by Fletcher from Stephens Thoroughbreds' consignment to the 2016 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale. Successful Sarah's last reported foal is an unraced Tale of the Cat colt named Successful One born in 2018.