Rock Fall Hopes to Add Vosburgh Win to Pile

Rock Fall will try for a second straight grade I victory and seventh consecutive win overall when he faces a half-dozen rivals in the $400,000 Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 29 at Belmont Park.

Stonestreet Stables' Rock Fall secured the first grade I victory of his career when the 4-year-old Speightstown   colt edged The Big Beast by a nose in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I) Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course. While that race, contested at the Vosburgh distance of six furlongs, was likely taxing, Rock Fall will enter Saturday's race off an eight-week freshening for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Rock Fall has worked five times since Aug. 23 in preparation for the race, which is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event to the TwinSpires.com Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I). Before the Vanderbilt, Rock Fall had won his five previous races by 26 1/4 combined lengths, including a 3 3/4-length score in the True North Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont, where he is undefeated in three starts.

"I think what makes him very good and sets him apart from other sprinters is that he can track a strong pace and still come on with a turn of foot," Pletcher said. "Some sprinters will come out of the gate and run the others off their feet; others will fall back and make one late run. With him, if the pace is slow, he can be on top of the pace, if it's fast, he can drop back."

While Rock Fall figures to be a big favorite, the Vosburgh's field also includes two-time grade I winner Palace who has lost four straight since winning last year's Vanderbilt and Forego Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga.

"We've had a few hiccups with him this year," said trainer Linda Rice of Palace, who carries the colors of Antonino Miuccio. "He grabbed a quarter coming out of the gate in the John Morrissey, and we spent the rest of the meet healing that up. He's had a few breezes since, and his last one [59.85 seconds on Sept. 20, fastest of nine at the distance on Belmont training track] was quite good, enough so we thought we would take a stab at this and hope for some good races this fall."

Other graded stakes winners in the expected field of seven include grade II winner Wildcat Red, who finished fourth in this year's Vanderbilt; and multiple grade III winner Salutos Amigos.