Zipse: Rattle N Roll regains Grade 1 status in defeat

To the victor goes the spoils. West Will Power deserves all the credit for his victory in Saturday’s $1 million Stephen Foster. This column is not about the winner, however. Instead, it highlights the runner-up.

Sent off at odds of nearly 7-1 in one of the strongest fields we’ve seen in American racing this year, Rattle N Roll proved that he is back to being a Grade 1 horse.

I say, “back to being a Grade 1 horse” because there was a time when he was one of the most promising 2-year-olds in the nation after he swept to a romping victory over a big field in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1).

It seems like a long time ago, but that big victory at Keeneland was less than two years ago. Plenty has happened in the career of the 4-year-old chestnut son of Connect since. Now 15 races further into his career since that October afternoon, Rattle N Roll has gone full circle.

Perhaps in part because of the speed-favoring nature of the Ellis Park main track, Rattle N Roll was largely ignored at the betting windows in the Foster, despite being the hottest horse in the race coming in.

Or maybe it was because of his past failures along the Kentucky Derby trail of 2022. A fourth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby (G2) bookended by sixth-place finishes in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and the Blue Grass (G1) left him as a forgotten horse.

Trainer Kenny McPeek wisely opted out of the Kentucky Derby and all three legs of the Triple Crown with his Grade 1 winner, but Rattle N Roll kept running.

His durability and development led to wins in the American Derby, St. Louis Derby and Oklahoma Derby (G3) in relative anonymity before his 3-year-old season was complete.

A more mature version of Rattle N Roll is without doubt a better horse now at 4. Given one race, a fourth-place finish in the New Orleans Classic (G2), to work his way back in, he has proven himself one of America’s best horses in the last four.

Still, after a series of victories that were impressive for different reasons across the country in his next three starts, he needed to prove himself. The wins in the Ben Ali, Pimlico Special and Blame Stakes were all Grade 3 wins.

As good as he looked, many still doubted he was truly a Grade 1 racehorse. His performance in the Foster should go a long way toward dispelling those concerns.

As usual, Rattle N Roll showed little early speed out of the starting gate under regular rider Brian J. Hernandez Jr. and settled well back off a brisk early pace. Maintaining his inside position, he moved up nicely down the backstretch to put himself into striking distance heading into the far turn.

From there, Rattle N Roll needed to wait patiently for racing room to open. When given the opportunity, he swung outside for the stretch drive. Once clear, he turned in a strong rally that fell just a half-length short of the winner on the wire.

Still unproven at 10 furlongs, the grandson of Curlin has given every indication in his last four races that the trip will not be a problem. Certainly, he looked like a legitimate contender for this fall’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic as he closed in on the wire at Ellis Park.

Labeled a "consummate professional" by his veteran trainer, Rattle N Roll raised his bankroll to just under $1.7 million, with eight wins from 19 career starts for his owner Lucky Seven Stable.

Once thought to be a real Kentucky Derby contender only to be relegated to second-flight status, he is now back to a top billing position.

In four straight races, in four consecutive months at four different tracks, Rattle N Roll has proved himself a serious player in the older male dirt division. He clearly has never been better, and even in defeat, the Foster was his best race yet.

He’s a horse who stays sound, and his trainer is one who races his horses. In other words, we will see more from Rattle N Roll before the big one at Santa Anita on Saturday, Nov. 4.

In Saturday’s Stephen Foster, it was West Will Power who won the battle, but looking ahead to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, it might be Rattle N Roll who will win the war.