Lone Rock Victorious in Inaugural Tinsel Stakes

Former $40,000 claimer Lone Rock  capped a stellar 2021 campaign with a gritty rail-driving victory Dec. 18 in the inaugural $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

While the 1 1/8-mile distance wasn't ideal for the distance-loving superstar, trainer Robertino Diodoro remained confident in his charge's chances coming into Saturday's race, expressing to the Oaklawn track media before the race that the gelding had been training "too good" to miss up the opportunity to run in the Tinsel. 

Despite not having run shorter than 1 1/2 miles since February and facing a field that included graded stakes-winning millionaires Warrior's Charge , Tenfold , and Title Ready  in addition to intriguing newcomers Huge Bigly  and Beau Luminarie , Lone Rock was bet down as the 9-5 favorite in his final start of the year. 

As the gates opened, jockey Reylu Gutierrez made a beeline for the lead aboard Huge Bigly, outgunning Lone Rock's speedy stablemate Thomas Shelby  to the front to carry the seven-horse field past a snappy opening quarter-mile in :23.31. Behind the pacesetters, Lone Rock and Warrior's Charge led the second flight, nose and nose down the backside. After a half in :47.80, the field crept in on Huge Bigly, who began to retreat as the pack turned for home. Warrior's Charge launched an outside bid to engage Thomas Shelby past three-quarters in 1:12.60 and rider Ramon Vazquez, unable to get Lone Rock to the outside, drove the big-striding gelding past the tiring Huge Bigly to the rail and he powered to the wire.

Beau Luminarie rallied belatedly down the middle of the track but was unable to pass the Diodoro-trained pair. Lone Rock dug in gamely to prevail by three-quarters of a length over a stubborn Thomas Shelby, who was a half-length ahead of Beau Luminarie.

"Awesome," said Diodoro after the race. "Great ride by Ramon. He was in traffic trouble a good part of the race. He's a big horse that was stuck down inside, which was a little concerning. But, Ramon did a great job of getting him out of that and hats off to both horses. Our other horse, Thomas Shelby, ran huge as well. He dug in, especially for not making the lead. He ran a hell of a race."

Owned by Flying P Stable and R. A. Hill Stable, Lone Rock ran the 1 1/8 miles on a track listed as muddy (sealed) in 1:49.77. He paid $5.60 for the win.

In his previous start, Lone Rock established a track record for 1 5/8 miles at Del Mar when surging home a convincing winner of the Nov. 6 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) on the Breeders' Cup undercard. With his Tinsel score, the 6-year-old son of Majestic Warrior  annexed the sixth stakes race of his career—fifth this year—and ended the season with seven wins from nine trips to the post. The gelding has compiled over $1.14 million in earnings. 

"He's a great horse," said Vazquez. "I knew he was feeling good in his training, but he did scare me a little because he hadn't run 1 1/8 miles in a long time. I knew I had a lot of horse. I was waiting for the perfect spot and the perfect moment to move my horse. When I found the hole, he took off."

Lone Rock was bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms. Out of the graded stakes-placed Hard Spun   mare Ruby Lips, he is a half brother to this year's Tempted Stakes captress and Frizette Stakes (G1) runner-up Gerrymander  (Into Mischief  ). Ruby Lips has produced three winners from four foals to race and is also the dam of yearling colt by More Than Ready  , foaled a filly by Tapit   this past spring, and was bred to Constitution   for 2022. She hails from the family of grade 1 winners Hard Not To Like  and and Fiery Ensign as well as Canadian classic winner Like a Gem.

Video: Tinsel S. (BT)

Mucho Returns to Winning Ways

One race prior to the Tinsel, WSS Racing and 4 G Racing's Mucho  returned to the winner's circle when splashing down the center of the track to a half-length tally in a $127,200 allowance optional claiming contest. 

The 5-year-old son of Blame  , who was third to Special Reserve  and Aloha West  in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland two starts back (Aloha West next out won the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint, G1), entered Saturday's race off a narrow runner-up finish in the Nov. 6 Bet on Sunshine Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Trained by John Ortiz and guided by Gutierrez, Mucho stopped the clock in 1:09.90 for the six furlongs. 

Morning-line favorite C Z Rocket  was scratched.

Grade-1 placed as a 2-year-old, Mucho captured his first black-type event earlier this year in the Challedon Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. A winner in seven of 29 career starts, he increased his earnings to $686,729. He was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider and is out of the Pulpit mare Extent.