Rock Fall Passes Stakes Test in True North
Making
his first stakes appearance, Stonestreet Stables' Rock Fall graduated
in style, capturing the Grade 2, $250,000 True North by 3 ¾ lengths on
Friday at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old son of Speightstown covered six
furlongs in a sharp 1:08.37 to best the field of seven that included
older, more seasoned opponents.
Rock Fall tracked an early pace
set by Favorite Tale on the far outside of the pack, with the opening
quarter-mile going in 22.35 seconds and the half in 45.01. Under Javier
Castellano, Rock Fall edged to the lead at the top of the stretch, with
fellow Todd Pletcher trainee Eastwood and multiple graded stakes winner
Clearly Now in close pursuit.
As Clearly Now wound down the
chase, Rock Fall shook free from his stablemate under a strong hand ride
to secure his fifth consecutive victory in six career starts, all of
which have come at six furlongs.
"When he broke his maiden last
year I thought he was going to be a good horse, and then he followed it
up with a nice allowance win," Pletcher said after the race. "He had to
take a little time off, but to win five in a row now is pretty hard to
do, especially sprinting. He's really found his groove."
"He's
just a push-button horse, an amazing horse," Castellano commented. "He's
a classy horse. He accelerates when you ask, and he's very
straightforward. When you ask him he responds right away. He's the kind
of horse we're looking for all the time."
Stallwalkin' Dude and
Grade 1 winner Dads Caps rallied from the back of the pack to get up
for second and third, respectively, ahead of Eastwood in fourth.
Favored
at 7-5, Rock Fall paid $4.40 for a $2 win bet and the $137,500 winner's
share of the purse boosts the colt's career earnings to $299,180.
Favorite Tale, Clearly Now and Tenango completed the order of finish. Captain Serious was scratched.
Source: NYRA Communications (Heather Pettinger)