C Z Rocket Runs Down Whitmore in Hot Springs
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Photo: Coady Photography
C Z Rocket (outside) outduels Whitmore to win the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park
C Z Rocket ended Whitmore's bid for a fifth consecutive victory in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes March 13 at Oaklawn Park, running down the 8-5 favorite late in the stretch to win by a neck.
The six-furlong Hot Springs marked the seasonal debut for both C Z Rocket and Whitmore. The two came back from the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, where Whitmore ran past C Z Rocket to take the championship event on the way to year-end honors as champion male sprinter.
Prior to his runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup, C Z Rocket strung together five straight wins after owner Tom Kagele and trainer Peter Miller claimed him for $40,000 in April 2020 at Oaklawn. He worked his way up the class ladder to win the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) last August at Del Mar and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) in September at Santa Anita Park.
Campaigned in partnership by Kagele, Madaket Stables, and Gary Barber, C Z Rocket returned to his winning ways Saturday. Ridden by Florent Geroux, he raced in seventh early, one spot behind Whitmore, and was four to five wide. Whitmore's Ron Moquett stablemate Firecrow set the pace with fractions of :21.65 and :44.69 through a half-mile.
Whitmore emerged to take over in the stretch while C Z Rocket was a length behind in fourth, but the winner found an extra gear and edged his way to the front. C Z Rocket stopped the clock in 1:09.04 on the fast track and paid $7.20 for a $2 win wager.
"I didn't think we would be behind Whitmore, but it kind of worked out," Miller said. "Might have been a blessing in disguise to track Whitmore. He's such a great horse, Whitmore, and so is C Z Rocket. I just can't say enough about both of these horses. My congratulations to the connections of Whitmore on having this horse ready to rock and roll.
"Going down the stretch, I thought we were going to get there. It was tough. He was a little further back than I'd thought he would be, honestly. I did see pace was hot. Flo (Geroux) knows what he's doing. (The) Horse runs really well for him. (The) Pace was fast, so we were where we were supposed to be and it worked out."
Flagstaff ran third throughout. Firecrow, Boldor, Engage, and Mr. Jagermeister completed the order of finish.
C Z Rocket, a 7-year-old gelded son of City Zip, was bred in Florida by Farm III Enterprises. He is out of the graded stakes-placed Successful Appeal mare Successful Sarah, also dam of black-type earner Great Success. The mare's last reported foal is Successful One, an unraced Tale of the Cat 3-year-old colt.
The Hot Springs score pushed C Z Rocket's earnings past the seven-figure mark to $1,011,641 from a 10-2-2 record in 24 starts. In the sales ring at 2, he was an $800,000 purchase by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations when consigned by Stephen Thoroughbreds to the 2016 Ocala Breeders' Sales June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age.
Video: Hot Springs S. (BT)
Carlos L. Upsets Temperence Hill
Good Friends II's Carlos L. was the longest shot on the board in the $150,000 Temperence Hill Stakes, but pulled off a 47-1 shocker as he wired the 1 1/2-mile marathon Saturday at Oaklawn.
Carlos L. wins the Temperence Hill Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Ridden by Alex Canchari for trainer McLean Robertson, the 5-year-old son of Hold Me Back shot out to a four-length lead through a :48.39 half-mile. He was down to a length advantage through a 1:39 mile and only had his head in front of Lone Rock in the stretch.
Despite the pressure from Lone Rock, who tracked in third for most of the race, Carlos L. ($97.40) fought back to win by a neck. The final time on the fast track was 2:29.87, a new track record.
Lone Rock, Tenfold, Treasure Trove, Campaign, Plainsman, You're to Blame, and Split the Wickets completed the order of finish.
Carlos L. was bred in Kentucky by Nancy Puffer out of the Lewis Michael mare Bless Your Heart. He was purchased for $2,500 by Mereida Munez fromDarby Dan Farm's consignment to the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearlings Sale before beginning his race career in Panama for Good Friends II.
In Panama, Carlos L. was named champion 2-year-old of 2018 and won the 2019 Clasico Presidente de la Republica, a local group 1 event. He began his stateside career in the fall of 2019 and collected his first U.S. stakes win in the Temperence Hill.
From 16 career starts, Carlos L. has earned a 7-2-2 record and $262,999.