Lone Rock Makes it Four in a Row With Birdstone Victory
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Lone Rock wins Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Flying P Stable's Lone Rock continued his domination of the marathon division, winning his fourth consecutive start at 12 furlongs or longer in the Aug. 5 renewal of the $120,000 Birdstone Stakes, a 1 3/4-mile stamina test for older horses at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Robertino Diodoro, the 6-year-old Majestic Warrior gelding launched his streak in March at Oaklawn Park with an allowance optional claiming tilt and followed with a 3 3/4-length score in April in the Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Churchill Downs, both at 1 1/2 miles. Lone Rock entered the Birdstone off a powerful 11 1/4-length score in the 12-furlong Brooklyn Stakes Presented by Northwell Health (G2) June 5 at Belmont Park.
With regular rider Ramon Vazquez up, Lone Rock tracked comfortably in second as Moretti , the defending Birdstone winner with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, led the seven-horse field through splits of :48.88, 1:13.72, and 1:39.71 on the fast main track.
Moretti led the field into the final turn, but when Vazquez gave Lone Rock his cue, the veteran gelding advanced with ease, putting away Moretti at the top of the lane and powering through the wire a four-length winner in a final time of 2:56.45.
Shooger Ray Too completed the exacta by one length over Moretti. It was a further 12 3/4 lengths back to Rocketry in fourth. Rounding out the order of finish was Ry's the Guy , You're to Blame , and He's No Lemon .
Diodoro, who secured his second stakes win at Saratoga following Special Relativity 's score in the 2019 Shine Again, was full of praise for Lone Rock.
Lone Rock wins the Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
"The horse ran big again," Diodoro said. "He ran the way he's been training. He's been training like a monster and it's always nice when they train like a monster in the morning and come out in the afternoon and do the same thing. We're pretty proud of him today.
"I thought that Moretti would take the lead from him and Ramon did exactly as I said, which was 'don't let him get away from you,'" added Diodoro. "I've seen it many times when a horse will get out to the front and open up a few and put the rest of the field to sleep. We definitely didn't want that to happen today. I thought Ramon did an excellent job staying on (Moretti) the whole way."
Vazquez made his Saratoga debut a memorable one.
"This is a dream come true. It's been a dream for a long time to ride at Saratoga. I'm so happy," Vazquez said. "I was really confident in my horse. I was a little worried about the distance; he hasn't run this far before. But I knew my horse was feeling at his best right now. I just put my horse in a good position and when I asked him, he had a lot (left)."
Bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms, Lone Rock banked $66,000 in victory while improving his record to 12-3-2 from 34 starts. He returned $3.70 as the 4-5 mutuel favorite.
Lock Rock is out of the grade 3-placed Hard Spun mare Ruby Lips , whose most recent foals include a yearling More Than Ready colt and a Tapit filly foaled this year. Her three other foals have raced, and besides Lone Rock, one other is a winner. Another of her produce, Gerrymander , a 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief , ran second on debut in June at Belmont Park for trainer Chad Brown and owner Klaravich Stables.
Lone Rock went through a public auction in 2016 when Shortleaf Stable purchased him for $55,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at The July Sale at Fasig-Tipton.
Diodoro and trainer Bill Mott swapped the gelding back and forth via the claims box during the last half of 2020—first at Saratoga, then at Keeneland, and finally by Diodoro at Churchill Downs.
Lone Rock has won 6-of-7 starts since being claimed back by Diodoro and Flying P Stable for $40,000 out of a winning effort in November at Churchill Downs.