Rosenblum, Moquett Divided in Smarty Jones with Uncontested, Petrov
Moquett and Rosenblum, both native Arkansans, spent the last few years trying to reach the Kentucky Derby together, but in the Smarty Jones, they will be competing against each other. They are both trying to secure a third straight trip to Louisville for the first Saturday in May.
Moquett and Rosenblum are scheduled to tangle for the first time in a major race since dissolving their business relationship last fall in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds Monday at Oaklawn. Rosenblum co-owns Uncontested, the 2-1 program favorite for trainer Wayne Catalano. Moquett trains and co-owns Petrov, the 5-2 second choice.
The twist is they both still co-own Whitmore, who remained perfect in four career sprint starts in Sunday’s eighth race, a third-level allowance/optional claimer. The gelding was saddled by Moquett and carried Rosenblum’s green, blue and white colors.
“That’s what’s funny,” Moquett said. “You go to the Derby two years in a row with someone, but now we’re competing against each other.”
Rosenblum and Moquett teamed to finish second in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) in 2015 with Far Right, who would run 15th in the Kentucky Derby three weeks later. They finished third in last year’s Arkansas Derby with Whitmore, who would finish 19th in the Kentucky Derby. Rosenblum said disagreements between he and Moquett triggered the split.
Their partnership of some four years began, ironically, when Rosenblum eventually moved Gentlemen’s Bet from Catalano to the Oaklawn-based Moquett after a career debut victory in January 2012 at Gulfstream Park. Gentlemen’s Bet is a multiple stakes winner of $742,430 and finished third in the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) in November 2013 at Santa Anita.
Rosenblum said he now has 10 horses with Catalano, including Far Right, Gentlemen’s Bet and Uncontested, who was also with Moquett before the split. The owner said he and Moquett remain friends, noting he sent the trainer a ham for Christmas and was invited to Moquett’s house to watch the Jan. 9 College Football Playoff National Championship football game between Alabama and Clemson.
“You’ve got to run against somebody,” Rosenblum said of the Smarty Jones. “Things happen in this business.”
Also in the Smarty Jones, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is scheduled to send out Unbridled Eagle for owner Willis Horton of Marshall, Ark.
Horton and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas ended their roughly 4 ½-year business relationship late last year, a collaboration that produced Eclipse Award winners Will Take Charge (2013 Smarty Jones champion) and Take Charge Brandi.
Lukas is scheduled to start Warrior’s Club in the Smarty Jones.
Source: Oaklawn Park