He may be green as grass, but that's where Rock Your World 's promising future lies.
The Candy Ride colt, who stretched out off an impressive debut, rallied powerfully late and left no doubt about who was best in the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita Park, prevailing by a widening 2 1/4 lengths under Umberto Rispoli. Trained by John Sadler, he raced a mile on turf in 1:34.39.
A joint second with favored Cathkin Peak, about 2 1/2 lengths off pacesetter Commander Khai heading into the first turn, Rock Your World maintained his position up the backside. He was one length off the lead three furlongs out, as Cathkin Peak shuffled back a bit to his inside.
Turning for home, it appeared it would boil down to Rock Your World with Rispoli and Cathkin Peak with Flavien Prat, as they lined up two and three wide outside Commander Khai, but Rock Your World belatedly kicked into high gear a sixteenth out and the Pasadena was over. Rock Your World hit the wire full of run.
"This horse is still really green," said Sadler. "It's funny, we schooled him yesterday morning at 9:30 in the paddock, no problem. Today, when we put the saddle on him, tight as hell! He's got lessons to learn, but he's got a lot of talent. He was very game and he galloped out super. We love that about him."
Fractions on the race were 23.08, 46.72, 1:10.41, and 1:22.44—all established by Commander Khai.
A 1 3/4-length maiden winner going six furlongs on turf Jan. 1, Rock Your World was the actual second choice at even money in a field of five sophomores and paid $4.20.
"To be honest, I was afraid because the horse couldn't find his stride," said Rispoli. "He's so big I was trying to get him ready to switch leads at the top of the stretch, so he missed a couple of strides. That's the reason Flavien came (inside) and had that little room to come through, (I) just opened the gap for him."
Owned by Hronis Racing and David Michael Talla, Rock Your World was bred in Kentucky by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Debra. Out of their stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Charm the Maker, Rock Your World fetched $650,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
With the winner's share of $60,000, he has earnings of $96,600 from his two wins in as many starts.
Cathkin Peak, who broke his maiden for trainer Phil D'Amato in his Southern California debut Nov. 29 and who came off a one-length win in the one mile Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita Dec. 27, was the narrow even-money favorite under Prat, finishing one length in front of Red Flag in third.
A winner of the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) two starts back but a disappointing fourth as the 4-5 favorite in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), the John Shirreffs-trained Red Flag ran a much-improved race and overhauled fourth-place Commander Khai by a neck on the wire. Harlan Estate was last of five.
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