Jerkens- $100.000 Purse
GP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Inner Turf
January 23, 2016

Someone at the track must have been trashing Rock The House in the morning of race day. It doesn’t otherwise make sense that this talented gelding, who was made our top choice in the preview, could go off at odds of 23/1. Though, historically if you look at his past performances a little bit, you will see that he always seems to be a longshot while running for his trainer, Hambletonian Stable.   Something else that he has done three-quarters of the time with his trainer: Win.   The Jerkens marks the third win in four starts for Hambletonian, all of which have come at double digit odds. Maybe, someday, people will start believing in this horse at the betting window. To add profit to our pick, our second choice, Broken Hero went off at 8/1 and finished 2nd, giving any loyal reader part of that $275.60 exacta.   Almost had the trifecta as well, but it was our fourth pick that finished third.    It was just the second time this race has been run, and it’s the first such stake win for the trainer and jockey Alan Garcia. The winning time of 2:26.12 was not quite as quick as Candy Cain N Able’s win last year.   Let us take a look at how this race was won!

1st- 4-  Rock The House (23/1)- Our eventual race winner form Hambletonian Stable got off to a decent start, and was not overly concerned with Ironmistso on the front end, content to stay about three lengths from the lead. The middle portion of the race saw him be satisfied to wait for his time to strike, which would come as they moved into the backstretch for the second time. It only took about a furlong for Alan Garcia to get Rock The House to the lead, and he would have the pacesetters well cleared as they moved into the turn. For a little while it looked like Broken Hero was going to mount a bid in the turn, but Rock The House was going to have none of it, and kept a powerful stride hugging the rail around the turn. Broken Hero could not keep up, and he would put more daylight on him and the rest of the field as they moved into the stretch. Once there, he had two lengths on the field, and no one was going to catch him. Rock The House would win the race driving all the way to the wire, in impressive fashion. His winning time was 2:26.12, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up next! Congratulations to all of the connections. Rock The House is a six year old gelding by Rockefella and out of Bayou Queen Cs, who is from the Time Clock bloodline. He was bred in Ontario by Sarah Stables, and was acquired by Hambletonian Stable in a private sale from Sanny Village for $15.000 in September 2015. He is three-for-four since the sale. Congrats again!

2nd- 9- Broken Hero (8/1)- Started near the back of the pack, and would be content to race the early stages of the race around seven lengths behind the pacesetting Ironmistso for trainer Pan Farms. As they moved into the backstretch the second time, E J Wilson made an aggressive move to urge Broken Hero, and the gelding would respond well.   Before they even started into the turn, he was now in third behind new leader Rock The House, and had him in striking range.  However, he ended up being four to five wide for that turn, and at the top of stretch, he had no response to make further progress on the leader, and his race became more about holding on for second.

3rd- 1- Flash The Deuce (4/1)- Initially, the Mojica Racing gelding got off to a good start and seemed to want to stay just off the lead, but then jockey J J Castellano seemed to back off and by the top of the stretch the first time, he was near the back. Regained this ground as they moved into the backstretch the second time. Forced his way through at the top of the stretch rather aggressively as he moved by Rocket Man, making the trainer glad there are no virtual stewards here. He would run well enough in the stretch to get up into the third spot.

4th- 2- Rocket Man (5/1)- Got off to an average start, right smack in the middle of the field for trainer Downwind Stables. He would run side by side with eventual winner Rock The House for much of the race’s first half. He did not look to advance at the same time Rock The House did, and would eventually find himself in a bit of a traffic jam as they made their way into the final turn. Seemed to be forced wider and wider by Flash The Deuce at the top of the stretch almost to make you wonder what the stewards were watching. Wait, nevermind. Never really able to get a great stretch drive going.

5th- 8- Pink Star (4/1)- Surprisingly, the Eastern Equine entry went promptly to the back at the start of the race. This represented either a notable tactical change, or simply a poor break out of the gate. Stayed in this spot for most of the way, but about halfway into the final backstretch trip, Pink Star began advancing like a horse instructed to close. He had no choice but to go wide around the turn, and ended up about six wide for the stretch. The best he could do was to pull level with the pack, and could not get a check for the trainer.

6th- 5- Dan Marino (6/1)- His drive started well with early completions for Wolfs Den, stalking the pacesetting Ironmistso. By the race’s halftime, he still seemed to have his trainer in good shape, running second. However, in the fourth quarter of the race, his drive began to stall and he could not hold off his rivals. Intercepted in the stretch for a few positions late.

7th- 7- Dullahan (12/1)- Kept Pink Star company at the back of the pack in the early going for Crazy Horse Racing. He would maintain this position for the first lap around the track, and then on the final backstretch trip, he looked to advance along the rail. The rapid fade of Ironmistso meant that he had to hold off on making this move and instead sit behind Flash The Deuce. When the lane opened up, he was not able to pounce on it.

8th- 3- Divine And Fast (7/2)- The stunning pre-race favorite from Simmer Down Stable started the race towards the back, trailing the pacesetters by six lengths as they went down the backstretch the first time. Advanced well in the turn and at the top of the stretch, a lap too early, and the push would eventually stabilize. He did not have anything for the stretch run that mattered.

9th- 6- Ironmistso (34/1)- Started much better then he finished for Witeout Stables, setting the opening half mile fraction in :49.49 and the 3/4 time in 1:14.02. Though once he was passed in the backstretch the second time by Rock The House, he was done for the day.

Track: Firm
Time: :49²  1:14   2:02¹  2:26

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 9 Paid 275.60
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 9 – 1 Paid 1,541.80

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES