11/5/06
Last updated: 11/5/06 3:58 PM
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Red Rocks made his U.S. debut a winning one
(Keith Smiley/Horsephotos.com) |
On September 29, the Rolling Stones rocked the turf at Churchill Downs. In
Saturday’s $2,748,000
Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), J. Paul Reddam’s RED ROCKS (Ire)
(Galileo [Ire]) did the same. The only three-year-old in the field, the dark bay
upstaged his elders with a determined half-length victory in his American debut.
Frankie Dettori shrewdly reserved the Brian Meehan colt well off the
demanding tempo of :24, :47 4/5 and 1:12 2/5, then asked him for everything in
the stretch. Red Rocks ranged up on the outside and struck the front, appearing
set for a stylish score, but 2004 Turf upsetter Better Talk Now (Talkin Man)
burst from far back and gained ground rapidly late. Under a stiff Dettori drive,
Red Rocks repelled the veteran in a final time of 2:27 1/5 for 1 1/2 miles on
the firm ground.
“That was a crazy pace,” Dettori said. “I knew they couldn’t keep up
that pace. I decided to let them fight it out and then come at them.
“So I took him on the wide outside, and it was just a matter of
picking horses one by one, but I forgot that Better Talk Now was behind
me also playing the same game. Last furlong we had to get serious, but
the rest is history,” Dettori said, adding that he was “just trying to
ride for my life and get him there first.”
It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to English Channel (Smart Strike) in third,
with Rush Bay (Cozzene) fourth. Next came Scorpion (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]), near
3-1 favorite Hurricane Run (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]), Go Deputy (Deputy Minister),
T. H. Approval (With Approval), Silverfoot (With Approval), Cacique (Ire) (Danehill)
and English Channel’s rabbit, Icy Atlantic (Stormy Atlantic).
Leaving the gate as the 10-1 sixth choice, Red Rocks provided mutuels of
$23.60, $11.20 and $6.20. The 18-1 Better Talk Now returned $17.40 and $10,
ending the $450.80 exacta. English Channel gave back $4.20 at 7-2, making the
trifecta worth $2,501.80. With 32-1 Rush Bay filling the fourth spot, the
9-8-10-5 superfecta totaled $32,038.
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Although Red Rocks was posting just his second stakes win and his first at
the graded level, he had turned in several strong placed efforts this season.
After romping by four lengths in the Fairway S. at Newmarket, the dark bay was
second in three straight notable contests — the King Edward VII S. (Eng-G2) at
Royal Ascot; the Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1), beaten by eventual Prix de l’Arc
de Triomphe (Fr-G1) hero Rail Link (Dansili [GB]); and the Great Voltigeur S.
(Eng-G2). In his latest effort, he was a non-staying third in the extended 1 3/4
miles of the St Leger (Eng-G1). The Turf winner’s check nearly quintupled his
earnings to $2,042,018 and improved his line to 10-3-4-2.
Bred in Ireland by Ballylinch Stud, Red Rocks was sold for $160,000 at the
Goffs Orby Sale as a yearling. He is out of the stakes-winning Machiavellian
mare Pharmacist, who has also produced Irish stakes victor and multiple Group
2-placed Medicinal (Linamix). Red Rocks’ second dam, Pharaohs Delight (Fairy
King), captured the 1989 Phoenix S. (Ire-G1) and placed in four other Group 1
events.
