Hit the Road Returns Victorious in Thunder Road
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Hit the Road wins the Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Idle since winning a restricted stakes at Del Mar July 10, Hit the Road came back running Feb. 6 at Santa Anita Park as he strode home to a 3 3/4-length win in the $100,500 Thunder Road Stakes (G3), providing trainer Dan Blacker with his first graded stakes win.
Ridden to his third consecutive win by Umberto Rispoli, Hit the Road completed one mile on firm turf in 1:33.35.
A comfortable third, about three lengths off the lead heading into the clubhouse turn, Hit the Road was in-hand behind dueling leaders Sombeyay and Bob and Jackie three furlongs out and narrowed the gap to one length at the top of the lane. He was three deep turning for home and took his cue from Rispoli to engage the leaders. In an instant, he opened up by three lengths a sixteenth of a mile from home.
"He's just a really special horse and I am so lucky to have him," said Blacker, 38. "…Like I said before the race, he was born a great horse. I'm just lucky to have him in my barn. (Umberto) worked the horse in :59 a week ago and he called me after the work and said, 'He just worked OK.' I was kind of worried he didn't think he looked too good. Then after (today's) race he told me, 'I didn't want you to get too excited.'
"For me, the horse is a champion in my eyes and I'm just so thankful to the group of owners."
The third choice in a field of six older horses at 3-1, Hit the Road paid $8.20 for a $2 win ticket.
Owned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road notched his first graded stakes win and his third overall added money victory. The 4-year-old More Than Ready colt was 2-for-2 last year and has an overall record of five wins from eight starts and earnings of $254,751.
"He's a nice horse," said Rispoli. "We always believed in him and had faith in him. … I was on top of the race and by the five-furlong marker he was already pulling hard and I could understand he was fresh. He was so good today. At the top of the stretch, he had good acceleration and covered good ground. It was a good comeback, so now it's up to Dan (as to) what he is going to do."
Bob and Jackie proved second best as the 2-1 favorite. Border Town nipped Sombeyay—who set fractions of :23.60, :46.80, and 1:10.18—for third. Hembree and Campaign completed the order of finish.
Hit the Road was bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich III and is the first foal out of the U S Ranger mare Highway Mary. His dam also produced an unraced 3-year-old Quality Road filly and a yearling Arrogate filly. She was reported bred to American Pharoah for 2021.
Radley Equine and Boomer Bloodstock privately purchased Hit the Road for $160,000 from consignor Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, after the colt was a $200,000 RNA in the ring at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The Thunder Road was part of a mandatory Rainbow Six-payoff sequence Saturday at Santa Anita that resulted in more than $5 million in new money added to a sizable carryover. With 201 winning tickets with six winners, each 20-cent ticket paid $24,654.80.
Total pari-mutuel handle on the 10-race program was $17,571,849.