Frank Fletcher

Millionaire C Z Rocket Retired

C Z Rocket (City Zip-Successful Rocket, by Successful Appeal) has been retired from racing, according to trainer Peter Miller. The 10-year-old was last seen finishing sixth at Oaklawn Monday. An $800,000 OBS juvenile purchase by Arkansas businessman Frank Fletcher, C Z Rocket had lost 11 consecutive starts when he moved to Miller's barn in April of 2020 after he was claimed on behalf of Tom Kagele for $40,000 at Oaklawn. For his new connections, which subsequently included Altamira Racing and Madaket Stables, the Florida bred won 13 races, finished second...

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Friday's Racing Insights: Juvenile Colts Take To The Churchill Stage

5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 2:45 p.m. Currently in fifth place on TDN's first-crop sire tally behind fellow Spendthrift Farm leader Maximus Mischief, Vino Rosso will look to add to his haul when MASMAK hits the track for the first time Friday afternoon. Originally purchased for $70,000 by Tom McCrocklin at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the chestnut colt went to FMQ Stables at the OBS Spring Sale earlier this year for $475,000. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Masmak's dam GSP Nite in Rome is also...

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Hard Spun Colt 'Rockets' To Top At Workmanlike OBS June Opener

OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training duly marched through its opening session with a $450,000 son of Hard Spun one of three horses to top the $200,000 mark Tuesday in Ocala. At the close of business Tuesday, 192 juveniles had sold for a gross of $7,110,400. The average of $37,033 was up from the 2022 session's final average of $34,431--which included post-sale transactions--but was down from the end-of-session figure of $38,628. The median of $20,000 dipped from the final figure of $22,000,...

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Rocket Can Drills for Derby

Frank Fletcher's Rocket Can (Into Mischief) turned in his final work ahead of Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby going five furlongs in :59.80 (4/35) at Churchill Downs Sunday. With regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona aboard and working inside of stablemate Mr. McGregor (Into Mischief), the colt  worked in splits of :12.80, :24.40, :36. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13. "I thought it went very well," trainer Bill Mott said of the work. "That's racehorse time for this track. He had a workmate out there, both riders did a good job,...

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Rocket Can on Track for Derby

Frank Fletcher Racing Operation's Rocket Can (Into Mischief) turned in his penultimate workout ahead of the May 6 GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong drill in 1:01.00 (11/41) at Churchill Downs Sunday. The gray colt, who broke off six lengths behind stablemate Game Warden (Tapit), completed early fractions of :12.20 and :36.60 with regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona in the saddle. He finished even with his stablemate at the wire and galloped out several lengths in front through six furlongs in 1:14.20. "It was a nice, steady work," trainer Bill...

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Strength at the Top as OBS March Concludes with a Million-Dollar Munnings Filly

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - With plenty of activity at the top of the market, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded its three-day run with increases in average and median over last year's two-session renewal and five juveniles selling for seven figures, led by a co-record $2-million son of Good Magic. "I thought it was a really good sale and it held strong all the way through," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "There were quality horses on each...

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$1-Million Munnings Filly Gets OBS Wednesday Off to Quick Start

A filly by Munnings (hip 558) got the final session of the OBS March sale off to a quick start when selling for $1 million Wednesday in Ocala. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket on the filly on behalf of Frank Fletcher. She will be trained by Bill Mott. The bay filly was consigned by Tom McCrocklin, who purchased her for $450,000 on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She is out of In Full Compliance (Smart Strike) and worked a quarter-mile last...

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Saturday's Racing Insights: March Hares Look To Swipe Limelight

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 12:50 p.m. Bought by Chenoweth Stables for $200,000 at the '21 FTKJUL auction, GLOBAL IMAGE (Liam's Map) was purchased by Taproot Bloodstock a year later at the OBSMAR after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. Owned by Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables, the Brad Cox trainee shipped to Belmont after training with his Churchill Downs string over the winter. Out of Ballerina S. heroine Class Included (Include), the gray colt will break from the three post with...

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Into Mischief Filly Second to Seven Figures at Keeneland

A filly by Into Mischief became the second seven-figure yearling of the Keeneland September sale when selling for $1.25 million Monday in Lexington. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, standing alongside trainer Bob Baffert, made the winning bid on behalf of Frank Fletcher. The filly, who sold as hip 52, was consigned by Paramount Sales. She was bred by Stoneway Farm. She is the first foal out of graded winner Song of Spring (Spring at Last) and from the family of multiple Grade I winner Dream Rush. Jim Stone's Stoneway Farm purchased...

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Classic Empire Colt 'Rockets' Home on Debut

7th-Churchill Downs, $116,256, Msw, 11-19, 2yo, 7f, 1:22.99, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. ROCKET DAWG (c, 2, Classic Empire--Rever de Vous {SP}, by Distorted Humor), the most expensive first-crop yearling of 66 sold by his freshman sire when bringing $375,000 at last year's FTKSEL sale, tuned up for this with a five-furlong spin in 1:01 1/5 (5/15) at Churchill Nov. 13. Off at odds of 9-2, Rocket Dawg raced in an outside seventh through an opening quarter in :22.76 after exiting from post nine. He began to roll beneath Florent Geroux...

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Pricey Into Mischief Filly Off the Mark at Ellis

6th-Ellis, $51,000, Msw, 6-27, 2yo, f, 5f, :59.47, ft, 3/4 length. J L'S ROCKETTE (f, 2, Into Mischief--Meta Mu, by Street Sense), a $750,000 OBS April grad off a :9 4/5 bullet breeze, began repaying that investment Sunday for the same connections who campaign fleet-footed MGSW Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief). Dueling inside of a foe early through :22.12 opening quarter, the bay shook free at the top of the stretch as another runner went wrong and lost her rider. J L's Rockette had five or six on her remaining competition...

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Thursday's Racing Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-Fair Grounds, $55K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 5:23 p.m. ET An intriguing cast of sophomore colts seek their diplomas at Fair Grounds Thursday. Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc. paid $500,000 for K C Rocket (Kantharos) at OBSAPR '20 off a powerful :10 flat breeze and strong gallop out before turning him over to Al Stall, Jr. A $75,000 KEENOV weanling and $165,000 KEESEP yearling, the chestnut is out of a Midnight Lute daughter of dual champion Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy). While that Hall of Famer...

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