C Z ROCKET

2022 FLORIDA-BRED CHAMPION OLDER MALE 2022 FLORIDA-BRED CHAMPION MALE SPRINTER

It was deja vu all over again for C Z Rocket, who as an 8-year-old gelding picked up yet another pair of Florida-bred championship titles. In 2020, as a 6-year-old gelding, C Z Rocket was also the Florida-bred champion older male and champion male sprinter.

C Z Rocket opened up his sixth racing season with a third in an allowance optional claiming race on Jan. 14 at Oaklawn Park. He then followed that with a win in an optional claiming allowance race on July 23 at Del Mar. Now warmed up, the grand old runner moved into graded-stakes company.

In the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2), C Z Rocket flashed his speed and class. Breaking slowly, C Z Rocket trailed the early leaders on the inside. But his afterburners kicked in going into at the top of the stretch to make his charge at leader Howbeit. But in a three-horse finish, C Z Rocket just missed by a nose to finish second. Super Ocho (Chi) was another nose back in third.

Next up was the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. Again breaking back, C Z Rocket chased the pace early before briefly moving into the lead in the stretch. But in deep stretch, he was overtaken by Elite Power, who won by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:09.11. C Z Rocket was second by a length-and-a-quarter ahead of Jackie’s Warrior.

Trained by Peter Miller, C Z Rocket banked $441,000 on the season for owners Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele.

A 2014 gelding by City Zip out of Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal, C Z Rocket was bred by Farm III Enterprises LLC. Consigned by Stephens Thoroughbreds to the 2016 OBS June 2-year-olds in-training sale, he was bought for $800,000 by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations. After winning the 2018 Kelly’s Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs, he posted no wins in 2019 and began 2020 racing in the claim ing ranks.

On April 30, 2020, trainer Peter Miller claimed fifth-placed C Z Rocket for $40,000 on behalf of Tom Kagele. C Z Rocket became a graded-stakes winner for his current owners when he won the 2020 Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2). To date, C Z Rocket has career earnings of $1,952,641. t

2014 bay gelding by City Zip – Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal

Breeder: Farm Enterprises III LLC

Owners: Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber & Tom Kagele

Trainer: Peter Miller

2022 Race Record/Earnings

5-1-2-1/$441,000

2022 Black-Type Stakes Record

2nd – Breeders’ Cup Sprint Stakes (G1)

2nd – Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2)

Our Flash Drive

2018 bay filly by Ghostzapper – Dynamotor, by Dynaformer

Breeder: Live Oak Stud

Owner: Live Oak Plantation

Trainer: Mark Casse

2022 Race Record/Earnings

7-2-3-1/$255,023

2022 Black-Type Stakes Record

1st – Bessarabian Stakes (G2)

1st – Del La Rose Stakes (L)

2nd – Beaugay Stakes (G3T)

2nd – Ontario Matron Stakes (G3)

2nd – Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf Stakes

3rd – Nassau Stakes (G2T)

Our Flash Drive

2022 FLORIDA-BRED CHAMPION OLDER FEMALE

2022 FLORIDA-BRED CHAMPION FEMALE TURF HORSE

Our Flash Drive garnered a pair of Florida-bred championship titles by being a talented and versatile runner. She alternated from turf to dirt competition with ease, winning on both surfaces.

Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation homebred began the season with a skein of stakes-placings in turf races at three different tracks. Our Flash Drive was second in the Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 27; second in the Beaugay (G3) at Belmont Park on May 14; third in the Nassau Stakes (G2) at Woodbine on July 2.

Our Flash Drive then shipped to Saratoga for a start in the $135,000 Del La Rose on Aug. 7 on the turf. Racing in fourth four-wide on the first turn and three-wide on the far turn, Our Flash Drive made her move at the three-sixteenths marker. She took the lead and won by a length over Plum All. Love And Thunder (Ire) was third. Winning time for the mile turf test was 1:35.42.

After a disappointing fifth in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga, Our Flash Drive returned to her homebase of Woodbine. Her next start there was Oct. 22 on the dirt in the Ontario Matron (G3). Our Flash Drive finished a game second by half-a-length to Kate’s Kingdom. Three weeks later, she was back for more on the dirt with a winning results.

In the Bessarabian (G2) on Nov. 12, Our Flash Drive broke well from the gates and settled into fifth. Early leader Hazelbrook took command around the final turn with Loyalty and Sweet Enough pressing her. Now in an all-out drive on the outside, Our Flash Drive took the lead at the six-furlong mark in 1:08.64. Then she powered away from her rivals, winning by five and three-quarter lengths in 1:20.76. Previously a Grade 3 winner in 2021, the Bessarabian was her first in Grade 2 company.

Bred by Weber’s Live Oak Stud, Our Flash Drive is a 2018 bay filly by Ghostzapper out of Dynamotor, by Dynaformer. On the season, the Mark Casse trainee banked $255,023 on two wins, a stakes and graded stakes, three seconds with two in graded stakes, and one third in a graded stakes.