The Runhappy (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
BEL- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
May 14, 2022

Rocky Mountain High was not one of our picks in the preview, but we weren’t alone in looking past the 38/1 longshot. There were a few reasons to not put virtual money on this five year old, but one thing he has shown the ability to do throughout his career is bounce back from disappointing outings. He was flat last month, running dead last in an optional claimer, so trainer TwinTowersRacing moved him back to the main track, a surface he had never won on during his career. Today, in the Runhappy, it would be one of those days for Rocky Mountain High where he put his last race behind him, and made his trainer very happy at the wire. It’s the first win in the race for TwinTowersRacing, and second for jockey S X Bridgmohan, who also won last year. Congratulations to them! The time of victory was 1:09.13. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :22.75)- The Rock Zips, the only horse with longer odds than Rocky Mountain High, zips out to the front J.a Stable, and holds a length lead as they run down the backstretch, and move into the turn. He brings three stalkers right behind him, with the eventual winner, TwinTowersRacing’s Rocky Mountain High positioned well in between horses. A Boy And His Dog, from Choppy Inc, was beside him on the inside, and in the third lane but losing a little ground at the top of the turn, was Royal Cubit, for Our Athletes. Freddo Cappuccino, the post time favorite from Mo Mentum Farm was in a good spot right behind the stalkers and Captain America (D J C Racing Stables) was within a length of him. You have to go back several lengths to Rock N Rattle (Angelos Stable) and Galactic Command (Linderman Prairie), each of whom seemed to struggle out of the gate.

(½ Mile- :45.78, Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Towards the exit of the turn, The Rock Zips was showing signs of fatigue, and by the time they reached the top of the stretch, both A Boy And His Dog and Rocky Mountain High had given him the slip. Choppy’s horse had the lead by a head here, and each seemed ready to battle it out all the way to the wire. Freddo Cappuccino had been running behind them the whole way, and nothing changed about his trip when round the turn, either. He still would have a length to make up, but with The Rock Zips bowing out, he would have a lane to pounce on without altering his stride. Royal Cubit was still in striking range, and Captain America could not be written off yet. Rock N Rattle was closing fairly well, but the same could not be said for Galactic Command.

(Finish- 1:09.13)- Early on, A Boy and His Dog looked like he might prevail over Rocky Mountain High, but with a furlong to go, and running in third lane, the longshot would have plenty left in the tank. He runs long often, and perhaps that came in handy here as he outkicks Choppy’s horse, then holds off Freddo Cappuccino, who did all he could while on the rail. In a photo, it’s Rocky Mountain High getting the win, with Freddo Cappuccino second and A Boy And His Dog close by in third. Rock N Rattle’s late run got the fourth place spoils for his trainer, topping Captain America, Royal Cubit, Galactic Command, and The Rock Zips.

About The Winner- Rocky Mountain High, trained by TwinTowersRacing and ridden to victory by S X Bridgmohan, is a five year old horse by Pinnacle West and is out of Wailua. He was bred in California by Two Hearts One Love as a third quarter two year old, and acquired by TwinTowersRacing via Angelos Stable, with a $16.000 claim almost two years to the date. The win is his fifth in 25 starts, and his first stake win. His career earnings improve to $321.410.

Track: Fast
Time: :22³  :45³  :57¹  1:09

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 2 Paid 92.60
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 2 – 1 Paid 1,404.30

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES