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Florida FOCUS
compiled by Jane Murray
Team Hanley’s 2-year-old filly Joy’s Rocket was impressive in her stakes debut at Woodbine Racetrack on Aug. 1, as the Florida-bred took off in the $100,000 My Dear Stakes to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths under Luis Contreras. Joy’s Rocket launched to the lead in the five-and-a-half-furlong Tapeta test and clocked fractions of :21.94 and :45.44 while prompted by Rocket Reload. The Steve Asmussen trainee shook off her main rival in the stretch and won her first stakes outing by nearly three lengths in 1:05.10. Favored Road to Romance pressed threewide early but settled into stalking position behind the front-runners and then made a bid moving into the stretch to get up for second-place, with Rotary rallying to her outside for third. Emmeline rounded out the superfecta with Rocket Reload, supplement Queen Rhonda and Silent Mamba completing the run down. Joy’s Rocket was the 8-5 second choice after winning at first asking over Churchill Downs’s dirt track in sloppy conditions on June 28. In the My Dear, she returned $5.50 to win. “She was very professional pretty much the whole way. From the beginning of the race
Florida-bred Joy’s Rocket
BURNS PHOTO
Joy’s Rocket Takes Off in My Dear Stakes
to the end, she was so professional and I was very confident with her,” Contreras said. “I saw the race at Churchill when she won. It was a muddy track and she just went to the lead. I wasn’t too worried because horses with this kind of talent, I think it’s easy to adjust to whichever track they go.” Bred in Florida by Weston Thoroughbreds Training & Sales, Joy’s Rocket is by Anthony’s Cross out of Queenie’s Pride by Special Rate. ■ —By Woodbine Press Office
Deliberate March to the Arch Wins Woodbine’s King Edward Live Oak Plantation’s March to the Arch steamrolled up the long stretch of the Woodbine Turf Course to wear down front-running Admiralty Pier to win the US$134,808 King Edward
The Jockey Club Projects Foal Crop of 19,200 in 2021 The Jockey Club Press Release The Jockey Club is projecting a 2021 North American registered thoroughbred foal crop of 19,200. The estimation for the 2020 foal crop remains at 20,500. The foal crop projection, traditionally announced in mid-August, is computed by using Reports of Mares Bred (RMBs) received to date for the 2020 breeding season. RMBs are to be filed by Aug. 1 of each breeding season. “The Jockey Club delayed publication of the estimation of the 2021 foal crop to provide stud farms that may have been affected by COVID-19 additional time to submit their RMBs,” said Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club’s executive vice president and executive director. Additional foal crop information is available in The Jockey Club’s online fact book at jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp and in the online state fact books. Stallion owners who have not returned their RMBs for the 2020 breeding season are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Interactive Registration, which enables registered users to perform virtually all registration-related activities over the Internet, is the most efficient means of submitting RMBs and is available at registry.jockeyclub.com. ■
Stakes (Grade 2) on Aug. 15 for his second stakes victory this year. The Florida-bred son of Arch also won the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 18. Ridden for the first time but to perfection by Rafael Hernandez, March to the Arch was in no hurry from post two in the one turn mile King Edward on the E.P. Taylor turf course. Meanwhile Tampa Bay Stakes (G3)-winner Admiralty Pier and Silent Poet, who were second and first respectively in the seven furlong Connaught Cup (G2) on grass at Saratoga on July 11, went to the front from the start. Admiralty Pier clocked the first quartermile in :23.09 while and half-length in front of Silent Poet in second as March to the Arch galloped along last of eight on the rail. Admiralty Pier maintained the same margin through a half-mile in :46.23 as March to the Arch had one horse beat moving into Woodbine’s sweeping turn. But Hernandez began to let out a notch on March to the Arch and kept the 5-year-old gelding on the inside around the unique far turn at Woodbine. The ground saving trip put March to the Arch three lengths behind Admirality Pier turning for home with Silent Poet still second on the outside. As Admirality Pier went by the threeeighths pole, he still had daylight on his rivals when Hernandez tipped March to the Arch to the outside where he responded immediately with a notable acceleration to the lead before they passed the final furlong marker. March to the Arch extended his lead to two-and-ahalf lengths in a final time of 1:32.28 on the firm turf as Admirality Pier finished second, two lengths to the good of Silent Poet in third. They were followed in order by Mr Ritz (GB), Delaware (GB), Dream Maker, Eskiminzin and Argentello (Ire). It was the third stakes win on the day for Woodbine’s leading rider Hernandez, who also rode Pink Lloyd to victory in the Bold Venture Stakes and won the Plate Trial with Clayton. March to the Arch is trained by Mark Casse, who has assistant Kathryn Sullivan in charge at Woodbine. “…He's such a lovely little horse, he tries THE FLORIDA HORSE • OCTOBER 2020 7
