Roy H Begins 2019 Campaign in Palos Verdes

As the favorite to be named champion male sprinter for a second straight year, Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's Roy H should soon enough be in pretty exclusive company.

Only one other sprinter has won consecutive Eclipse Awards in that category—Robert Levy's Housebuster in 1990 and 1991.

But what his connections are hopeful he can do next would put the 7-year-old More Than Ready  gelding into rarefied air.

The names of horses who have won three consecutive Eclipse Awards (or more) in a single category are giants of the sport—Forego, Zenyatta, and Azeri—and Roy H's quest for a third Eclipse honor will begin in the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G2) Jan. 19 at Santa Anita Park.

"It's very exciting," Rockingham racing manager Brian Trump said of the two-time TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner trained by Peter Miller. "We're basically hoping for him to pick up where he left off, and all signs in training have shown that to be the case."

Roy H has been working consistently at Del Mar and Miller's San Luis Rey Training Center base since his last Breeders' Cup Sprint score—a decisive 3 1/4-length victory.

Trump said the gelding will have his spots selected carefully, as they were in 2018 when he won three of five starts, including a victory in the Palos Verdes, which was run in February. He then finished third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored By Gulf News (G1), second in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), and first in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1) in his final prep for the Breeders' Cup.

DAUGHERTY: Roy H Sails to Victory in Breeders' Cup Sprint

Trump previously indicated a similar schedule would be likely for Roy H in 2019 as long as he stays healthy and shows he wants to continue to compete.

"We're going to choose our spots this year, but we were pretty right-on last year," Trump said. "With the training he's still showing, he has that desire. He couldn't look better training at San Luis Rey.

"It helps that he's a great horse to be around. He's good-tempered, and we don't have to worry about him hurting himself. He's pretty chill, to the point where you can lay down with him (in the stall) and he'll wrap his neck around you.

"We always joke that when he retires, (Rockingham owner) Gary (Hartunian) will just ride him into the sunset in Montana."

The field for the six-furlong Palos Verdes features another entry for Miller, Rockingham, and Bernsen in grade 1-placed 8-year-old gelding Distinctive B, but his stablemate still figures to be a commanding favorite.

There are three other graded winners in the field—Conquest Tsunami (also trained by Miller), St. Joe Bay, and Kanthaka—but none have come close to Roy H's level on his best day. Rounding out the field are Touched by Autism and Awesome Anywhere, the respective first- and third-place finishers in the Nov. 24 Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

Entries: Palos Verdes S. (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 19, 2019, Race 9

• Grade II
• 6f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:04 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Touched by Autism (CA)	Geovanni Franco	120	Marcia Stortz	20/1
2	2Distinctive B (FL)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Peter Miller	12/1
3	3Kanthaka (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Jerry Hollendorfer	4/1
4	4St. Joe Bay (FL)	Tyler Baze	120	John W. Sadler	6/1
5	5Conquest Tsunami (ON)	Joel Rosario	120	Peter Miller	5/1
6	6Awesome Anywhere (FL)	Mike E. Smith	120	Jerry Hollendorfer	8/1
7	7Roy H (KY)	Paco Lopez	124	Peter Miller	4/5