Anthony Fanticola's Earls Rock was far back early but hit the wire when it counted Feb. 4 at Santa Anita Park, surging late beneath Flavien Prat to win the $103,000 Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) to secure his first graded score.
Away alertly from his rail post in a field of 11 older horses, the Phil D'Amato trainee hugged the rail while mid-pack to the far turn as Prat bided his time with plenty of horse underneath him.
Dark Shift showed the way through fractions of :22.79, :46.71, and 1:10.45, but would fade to fifth. Turning for home, the eventual winner scraped paint and set after the pacesetter and Air Force Red as those two were battling head and head past the sixteenth pole.
Just as Air Force Red drifted out a bit, Earls Rock split horses and held off the late charge of Du Jour by a nose, finishing a mile on turf in 1:34.05. Air Force Red completed the trifecta.
"I've been waiting for this win," said Prat, an overall nine-time leading rider at Santa Anita who had but six wins through 16 racing days coming into Saturday with zero stakes victories. "I feel very happy for Phil and Mr. Fanticola, they've been great supporters of mine, and I was able to run a good race today.
"(Earls Rock) is always a bit keen. Last time, there was no pace, so I struggled a bit to relax him. Today we had a fair pace and he relaxed well. I was traveling super and when I asked him, he showed me a good turn of foot."
Idle since taking a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance optional claimer at Del Mar Dec. 4, Irish-bred Earls Rock is now unbeaten in four pairings with Prat. Off at 7-2, he paid $9.80 on a $2 win ticket. The 5-year-old Fascinating Rock gelding, who was second in his lone Irish start at 2 before he was purchased privately by Fanticola and imported to the United States, is now four for six with D'Amato with a 4-1-1 record from seven starts and earnings of $207,799.
D'Amato said he had to watch the replay to make sure his runner secured the win.
"I was like, 'We have to watch this photo, (Du Jour) was coming on strong,'" he said. "Luckily we got the bob and it's great to train for Tony Fanticola, who gave me my first start, my Breeders' Cup win with Obviously, and Flavien riding that horse and now to win a stake with this horse. (My stepdaughter) Jessica (Pyfer) rides and breezes him for us in the morning, so it was just a great family win here.
"His gallop out (in his last work) was so strong, Jesse's eyes lit up when she pulled him up in the drill and took him to the track. She just said that was spectacular and time-wise it was great. This was a step up for him and he proved that he can compete with stakes company."
Bred by Newtown Anner Stud out of the Shamardal mare Ajaadat (IRE), Earls Rock sold to Andrew Slattery for the equivalent of $8,931 from Galbertstown Stud's consignment to the 2019 Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. The mare's last reported foal is an unnamed yearling full sister to Earls Rock. This is her first graded winner from four starters, three of which have been winners.
Video: Thunder Road S. (G3T)
Quattroelle Nabs Megahertz Win
In a dramatic finish, the Jeff Mullins-trained Quattroelle surged late to take the $101,000 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) by half a length while getting a flat mile over the Santa Anita turf in 1:35.04.
While the original plan was to be attentive to the pace, jockey Hector Berrios went to Plan B and instead tracked the field while last by about four lengths around the far turn and split horses inside the sixteenth pole to overhaul John Velazquez and pacesetter Bay Storm when it counted.
"I had to be patient, I hung close to the (other horses), and I tried to wait as long as I could for an opening," said Berrios. "Once I saw a clear opportunity, she responded well to my instructions to push forward."
A 5-year-old Irish-bred mare, Quattroelle, who was an ungraded stakes winner for Mullins at 2, came off an even third-place finish going 1 1/8 miles in the Dec. 31 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) to secure her first graded win.
Dismissed at odds of 10-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares, Quattroelle paid $23.60 on a $2 win ticket. The daughter of Mehmas owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, increased her earnings to $292,772, with a 4-3-4 record from 14 starts.
"We were a little concerned about the distance, but it was really our only opportunity to run her, so this is where we ended up," said Mullins. "Hector's done a great job with this filly. I don't speak Spanish and he doesn't speak English, but we got it going on right now."
Bay Storm showed the way through fractions of 23.37, 48.09, 1:12.35, and 1:23.75, fighting off all challengers except the winner to finish half a length in front of California-bred Closing Remarks. School Dance, the 2-1 favorite with Frankie Dettori, tired late to finish fifth, about 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner.
Bred by Rossenarra Bloodstock out of the Stormy River mare Heavenly River, Quattroelle started once at Leopardstown for Kevin and Eileen Coleman after failing to meet her reserve when consigned by her breeder as a yearling at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearlings Sale. She was then purchased by her current connections and imported to the U.S. Her dam's last reported foal is a full brother that sold to Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock for the equivalent of $303,767 at the 2022 Tattersalls December Foal Sale.
