Rattle N Roll Ready to Roll in Jockey Club Gold Cup

The $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) can't get here fast enough for trainer Kenny McPeek.

He can't wait to let his 4-year-old colt Rattle N Roll  run in the 1 1/4-mile race Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course.

"I think he is like a stick of dynamite ready to go off right now," McPeek said outside his barn at the annex across the street from the Oklahoma Training Track. "He is ready to go."

Rattle N Roll, owned by Lucky Seven Stable, worked five furlongs in 1:01.01 on the main track Aug. 20 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. on his back. It was the sixth fastest of 33 at the distance.

The son of Connect   worked for the fourth time at the Spa since arriving here from Kentucky in late July.

"He is a pro," McPeek said. "He goes out there every day and makes our job easy. He does his work, comes back and does his thing.  He is a real special horse to be around."

Rattle N Roll hasn't run since finishing second, beaten a half length by West Will Power  in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs July 1. He won his two prior starts, the Blame Stakes (G3) at Churchill June 3 and the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course May 19.

He has three wins in five starts this year; overall, Rattle N Roll has eight wins, two seconds and two thirds in 19 career starts and earnings of $1,697,741. Earlier this year, he had a stretch where he ran three times in 55 days.

"We have been pretty clear that we wanted to space out his races," McPeek said. "He ran hard all spring, even into the summer and our goal has always been the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)."

When Rattle N Roll arrived in Saratoga, he came up with stablemate Smile Happy , who was being pointed to the Whitney Stakes (G1). Smile Happy did not make the race and McPeek decided to keep Rattle N Roll on course for the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

"He could have run in the Whitney and I think he would have run well in the Whitney," McPeek said. "I think he will run even better in the Jockey Club Gold Cup."

Smile Happy was ruled out of the Whitney July 30 when McPeek said the colt had a bruised foot. He was then checked out at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs.

The 4-year-old Smile Happy, also owned by Lucky Seven Stable, is at the Spa in McPeek's barn but the trainer said there is no race on the horizon for the son of Runhappy  .

"Smile Happy has been a problematic horse," McPeek said. "He is physically fine, but training him has been complicated. He gets on the track and he gets balky. We have been scratching our heads with him. We can't force him to do anything. We need to get him back happy and galloping and then back in a work routine. We might have to send him back to Kentucky to do it."