Rattle N Roll left rivals shaking, and placed his name prominently in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) mix, when posting a resounding 4 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
Brian Hernandez Jr. was up for Mike Mackin’s Lucky Seven Stable and Kenny McPeek on the chestnut colt, who was exiting a three-length maiden win in his third career start at Churchill Downs on Sept. 23, and Rattle Roll completed the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:43.78.
By freshman sire Connect, Rattle N Roll left the starting gate as the 8-1 sixth choice among 13 runners in the “Win & You’re In” for the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.
“I’m just real happy for the Mackin family,” McPeek said. “I love having the opportunity to be able to buy horses for people like them. You can’t go into a race with 13 horses and be overconfident, because so much can happen, and I told my wife before the race, ‘If the 13 horse rolls out of there early, I think we’ve got a real chance.’”
Classic Causeway sped forward from the far outside post to establish a clear lead through opening fractions in :22.81, :46.74, and 1:11.90. Rattle N Roll stumbled leaving the starting gate, saving ground from well off the pace before shifting out leaving the backstretch.
After accelerating sharply past rivals on the far turn, Rattle N Roll powered his way to a clear lead in upper stretch. He carried his momentum to the wire, scoring easily in his stakes debut.
“All the credit really goes to the horse, being only his fourth start, to be able to sit back there and read the race and let it develop in front of him,” Hernandez said. “When I got him outside, he showed what a good horse he is. He engulfed those horses pretty easily, and turning for home he switched leads. He knows his job and he just kind of went on about it.”
Double Thunder, who was off at 7-1, closed for second, a half-length better than 19-10 favorite Classic Causeway in third.
American Sanctuary, Costa Terra, Mr. Bouma, Stellar Tap, Kevin’s Folly, Great Escape, Seal Beach, Mac’s Time, King Curlin, and Don’t Wait Up completed the order of finish.
Rattle N Roll was bred in Kentucky by St. Simon Place and hails from the Johannesburg mare Jazz Tune. Connections paid $210,000 for him at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale.
