Hot Rod Charlie Works, Blinkers On for Whitney

Hot Rod Charlie  continued his progression toward a start in the Aug. 6 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course with a July 11 work at Keeneland, his second since a tough beat to Mind Control  in the June 18 Salvator Mile Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.

The 4-year-old son of Oxbow   cruised five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 under Rafael Bejarano after working four furlongs in :49 3/5 July 4 at Keeneland in his return to the tab. Hot Rod Charlie wore French Cup blinkers Monday and will have them back on for the 1 1/8-mile Whitney. He last wore blinkers five starts ago at the end of his 3-year-old season in the 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, where he finished fourth.

Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O'Neill, has been managing a Keeneland string for O'Neill and was on hand to supervise the Monday move.

"It was an easy work for him and we were very happy with how he did it," Mora said. "We put the blinkers back on—we're going to run him with his blinkers back on—and he did very, very well."

Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and Bill Strauss, made his first three starts sans blinkers before breaking his maiden with the equipment. He then wore blinkers for six consecutive races, lasting through the 2021 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), where he ran second.

With blinkers off for the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), the bay colt finished first but was disqualified and placed last for interference. He also ran without them in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), which he won while carrying out runner-up Midnight Bourbon approaching the head of the stretch at Parx Racing. Stewards there allowed the result to stand after a claim of foul and inquiry..

In his first start off a runner-up finish to Country Grammer  in the March 26 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) at Meydan, Hot Rod Charlie appeared to have Mind Control measured in the Salvator Mile, even putting a head in front of that pacesetting rival as they battled for home. But Mind Control surged back to win by a head, and Mora said jockey Mike Smith felt Hot Rod Charlie chose to stay with that rival instead of kicking on to victory. 

"Mike said, 'I've got him,' when they were passed by Mind Control, but he told us after the race, '(Hot Rod Charlie) came back to me.' He felt him just hanging there," Mora said. "After the race, he wasn't tired. That's the main reason we decided to put the blinkers back on."

Mora said Hot Rod Charlie has settled in well at Keeneland, where the colt will continue to prepare for a return to the 1 1/8-mile distance for the first time since his Pennsylvania Derby win. He will likely put in his serious preparations in Lexington for the Whitney, Mora said, then should ship to New York about five days before the race.

"He pretty much loves to train," Mora said. "He goes to the track and that's his routine; he's comfortable like that."