Edited Press Release
Spendthrift Farm and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Q B Rocket made a winning debut sprinting six furlongs on Saturday versus fellow juveniles in the eighth race, which earned him a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard,' for the effort. Ridden by Junior Alvarado, the Gun Runner dark bay wired the eight-horse field in a final time of 1:10.70, earning an 80 Beyer.
“He came out of it really good. Looks amazing,” Cox said. “I'm very happy with him. He acted like he was a good horse in morning training, and we brought him up here and he handled everything really well. We expected him to run big, and he did.”
Possible targets for Q B Rocket include the GI Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park or the GI Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, both Oct. 3 and “Win and You're In” qualifiers for the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
“The Champagne or the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland would probably be the logical spots,” the trainer said. “I think he showed enough yesterday to take that next step and stretch him out. He's bred to stretch and acts like he would. He's got a great mind, so we'll see.”
⭐️ NEW TDN RISING STAR ⭐️
Q B ROCKET (2yo c. by Gun Runner @Three_Chimneys – Ginja) earns @TDN Rising Star honors after winning a MdSpWt today @TheNYRA Saratoga 🎪 for trainer @bradcoxracing and owners Frank Fletcher & @spendthriftfarm .
Purchased at KEESEP25. Congrats to all… pic.twitter.com/Oyb67YldbQ
— BSW/Crow Bloodstock (@BSWCrow) August 15, 2026
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