Champion Roy H a classy Palos Verdes winner in season debut
Roy H, the 2017 Breeders’ Cup
Sprint and Eclipse Awards champion, won his 6-year-old debut under wraps in Saturday’s Grade 2,
$200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
“He did it very easy,” said winning jockey Kent Desormeaux. “[Trainer Peter Miller] told me to let the other horses go today and let this guy finish up the last half mile.
“It made my job easy. He’s a super horse. I wanna say, he’s the best sprinter I’ve ever ridden.”
Desormeaux took ahold of Roy H out of the gate and relaxed behind the other three competitors. Mongolian Saturday, winner of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, was the fastest to break, but Red Lightning was quick to take over. The first quarter-mile went in :22.06 with Americanize moving up on the rail to take over by a head.
Mid-turn, Desormeaux guided Roy H to the outside, and they rounded the turn three wide. The More Than Ready gelding stole the lead just as a half-mile went in :45.15 and began to draw off without encouragement. Desormeaux let Roy H gallop home in 1:09.68.
Americanize crossed the wire 3 ½ lengths behind the winner, followed by Red Lightning and Mongolian Saturday. Bobby Abu Dhabi was scratched.
“Kent did a great job of just letting him settle and move around there at will,” said Miller. “I just have to give Kent a lot of credit, and my assistant, Ruben Alvarado, who’s done a super job with this horse at Santa Anita, and Rockingham Ranch for giving me a chance.
“The horse has been a model of consistency. I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse put in seven top races in a row like he has against top quality horses. He’s certainly the best sprinter I’ve ever trained.”
The Palos Verdes was the third consecutive win for Roy H. Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, he won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, both Grade 1s. He won his first stakes in last year’s Grade 2 True North off two allowance wins and was second in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby before hitting his next win streak. Roy H’s record now stands at 18:7-4-1 with earnings of $1,479,765.
The next target for Roy H will likely be Santa Anita’s Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs on March 10.