Barn Tour: O'Neill on Hot Rod Charlie plus Derby prospects
Hours after being announced as a nominee for the racing Hall of Fame, and prior to boarding a plane to Dubai on Wednesday, trainer Doug O’Neill provided updates on an array of his top talents.
O’Neill, a two-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, was for a third time named a finalist for induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He joined fellow trainers Graham Motion, Christophe Clement and John Shirreffs among this year’s nominees.
“What a great honor to be with those guys,” O’Neill told Horse Racing Nation. “I love it. Much appreciated.”
O’Neill was on his way to this weekend’s “Super Saturday” card at Meydan Racecourse, where he will have six horses vying for spots on the rich Dubai World Cup (G1) program this month.
But the true purpose for the trip is O’Neill’s popular Grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie. The son of Oxbow arrived at Meydan in late January and promptly took down the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (G2) in impressive fashion on Feb. 4.
“He’s had a couple of works back, and he’ll work again this Friday,” O'Neill said. “According to the boys in the barn, he’s doing really well. I can’t wait to see it with my own two eyes.”
O’Neill couldn’t have scripted a better local prep for Hot Rod Charlie, but the waters will get considerably deeper for the $12 million main event March 26. Among his expected competition is Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup (G1) winner Life Is Good, Midnight Bourbon and the top two finishers from the Saudi Cup, Emblem Road and Country Grammer.
“We’re real optimistic about it,” O’Neill said. “He has a win over the track, and the spacing from that race to the World Cup is a real bonus for us.”
While Saturday will be telling in the Middle East for team O’Neill, closer to home it also has a busy day set at Santa Anita. O'Neill will have eight starters in 11 races, including the San Felipe (G2) with Happy Jack and Worse Read Sanchez, the Kilroe Mile (G1) with Team Merchants and the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) with Soy Tapatio.
O’Neill provided the latest on those contenders plus Kentucky Derby prospect Slow Down Andy and Kentucky Oaks contender Awake At Midnyte for this HRN Barn Tour.
Happy Jack. A debut winner at Santa Anita this year, the son of Oxbow headed straight to the Derby trail in last month’s Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita and offered little resistance when checking in last of five. Given the lack of experience for the Calumet Farm homebred and the quick 15-day turnaround between that maiden win on Jan. 22 and the Lewis on Feb. 6, the connections are willing to take another shot in the San Felipe.
“He’s a really nice colt and showed it in his debut,” O’Neill said. “I think I just erred by bringing him back so quickly. But he came out of it good, and we’ve given him good spacing. I’m just really optimistic we’re going to see an effort like we saw in his debut on Saturday."
Worse Read Sanchez. The California-bred makes his dirt and Derby-trail debut in the San Felipe after a maiden win against state-breds on Jan. 15 and runner-up effort in an allowance Feb. 4.
“He’s shown he’s maybe a better turf horse, but you just never truly know with newly turned 3-year-olds that can route,” O’Neill said of the homebred son of Square Eddie for Reddam Racing. “If they take to dirt, it opens up tremendous opportunities, obviously.”
Soy Tapatio. The 4-year-old gelding did not debut until November and remained a maiden after four starts while showing improvement for Mercado Racing. Then in his seasonal bow Jan. 8, the son of Not This Time rolled by 6 1/4 lengths to graduate. He came right back to win a first-level allowance when closing with a flourish on Feb. 18. Now, it is on to the $600,000 Big ’Cap.
“All the credit to Alejandro Mercado, his owner, who had been so patient with him,” O’Neill said. “We had a lot of physical issues when he was a young horse. It would be nothing better than to see him run big in the Big ’Cap, just for the patience displayed.
“It’s definitely some deep waters we’re jumping into, but he's running the type of numbers and is just in really good form right now.”
Slow Down Andy. After knocking off highly regarded Messier in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in December, he returned in the Feb. 19 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds and was never a factor when checking in sixth. He was some 11 lengths adrift of loose-on-the-lead winner Epicenter after breaking from the far outside in post 10.
“I think he was kind of a victim of the outside post, and the race just didn’t unfold as we had hoped,” O’Neill said. “So we’re putting a line through that race. Fortunately, he came out of it in good shape.”
A second shot on the Derby trail will follow for the California-bred son of Nyquist for owner-breeder Reddam Racing. O’Neill suggested either the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) over the synthetic track at Turfway Park on April 2 or the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland on April 9 would likely be next.
“It will be somewhere on the road,” O’Neill said “I’m optimistic he can turn it back around.”
Awake At Midnyte. O’Neill’s leading Kentucky Oaks hope, who was beaten by less than a length when second in the Santa Ynez (G2) in her sophomore bow, came back to be third in last month’s Rachel Alexandra (G2) when shipped to Fair Grounds.
In the Rachel Alexandra, Reddam Racing’s daughter of Nyquist stalked the pace and was outrun at the top of the stretch but then reasserted herself late to get third by a head.
O’Neill pointed out Awake At Midnyte did encounter a bit of trouble. The Rachel Alexandra was marred when La Crête suffered a non-fatal injury on the backstretch.
“She was sitting in a good spot, and the horse in front of her (La Crête) got hurt. It made her have to alter course and hit the pause button,” O’Neill said. “She was in a good, high cruising speed, so it kind of took her out of her rhythm a little bit. She still ran a credible third and came out of the race in good shape.”
He said next up for Awake At Midnyte could be a trip to Keeneland to contest the $600,000 Ashland Stakes (G1) on April 8.