A week later, on June 18, the $150,000 Grade 3 Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth Park will serve as a reminder of the division's depth and skill.
Hot Rod is a Grade 1 winner who has earned $5.1 million. Charlie will lead a field of seven senior runners in the one-mile test at the Jersey Shore in his first start since finishing second in the Dubai World Cup Presented by Emirates Airlines.
"After Dubai, we purposefully gave him some time off, and he's come back incredibly strong, and the Breeders' Cup Classic is our ultimate aim." "Saturday is the first step in the right direction," said trainer Doug O'Neill.
Since his juvenile campaign, the 4-year-old son of Oxbow has been a gem of consistency in a wide range of the sport's elite events, owned by Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss. His runner-up results include the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the 2021 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, and the 2020 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, thanks to the disqualification of Medina Spirit.
Hot Rod Charlie finished 1 34 lengths behind fellow American-based thoroughbred Country Grammer in the $12 million Dubai World Cup last time out. Despite being dormant since that race on March 26, he is currently fifth in the current National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 10 poll.
While a voyage to the Middle East has been known to exhaust certain horses, O'Neill has noticed no symptoms of exhaustion in the colt's recent training.
"For many horses, the way the yard is set up in Dubai is like a working holiday." It's immaculate and large. They do an excellent job of letting down while they're there, and as long as they don't get hurt, look excellent and are emotionally and physically fresh when they return," O'Neill said. "In the past, it's been a fantastic experience for us, and 'Hot Rod' is no exception." He was in fantastic shape when he returned."
O'Neill was convinced by the Salvator's scheduling and the potential of a less complicated assignment than the July 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs when deciding on a comeback contest for the product of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss.
His recent works have shown that he's ready to return to the races, and looking at the schedule, Salvator is an ideal fit. "I like the mile angle," O'Neill said, "and the fact that he's shipped to Monmouth previously and loved it." "The Salvator will not be an easy race, but it will be a little easier than the Stephen Foster at this time and will provide him with a decent warm-up from which we can build."
While O'Neill hasn't decided where his fine 4-year-old will run next, the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on August 6 or the TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar on September 3 look appealing.
"You'll need running shoes and a very talented equestrian athlete even to consider the Pacific Classic or the Whitney, and we're hoping the Salvator Mile will tell us we're in the mix," he added. "I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop."
Mike Smith will come in from California for the ride since usual jockey Flavien Prat has a commitment in New York on Saturday.
The Salvator will also bring the 6-year-old Mind Control's career, which has lasted 25 races, to a close. The son of Stay Thirsty broke his maiden at Monmouth on August 12, 2018, and has since won two Grade 1 races, earning $1,471,279 for the Red Oak and Sol Kumin's Madaket Stables owning group.
Shirl's Speight, a Speightstown 5-year-old who won the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes on grass two races ago, is also in the field. Roger Attfield trains him, and he has only raced once on dirt, coming fifth in a six-furlong allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park last year.
Helium, trained by D. J. Stables, won the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby in 2021 for trainer Mark Casse, but the Ironicus gelding hasn't won since, coming second or third five times.
Login To Leave a Comment