Rocketry launched from last to first to win Sunday’s $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park. This was the first career stakes win for the four-year-old son of Hard Spun who finished with a final time of 2:40.18, breaking the 1 5/8 mile Belmont track record that was previously held by the legendary Man o’ War.
Frustrated with how Rocketry was performing on the turf, trainer Jimmy Jerkens wanted to shake things up and try him on the dirt. Rocketry had previously struggled on the turf, where he won just three times in 14 starts. He came home fourth in this year’s Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T), sixth in the 2017 Hill Prince Stakes (G3T), and fourth in the Saranac Stakes (G3T) in his graded stakes debut one start prior.
Bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Rocketry is the first foal to race out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Farming. He improved his record to 4-3-2 from 15 starts with $377,090 in earnings.
Rocketry was an OPTIMAL Mating Selection at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Horses bred on OPTIMAL Matings have proven to possess more potential to become superior racehorses. Combined with a good physical, good vetting and a price that falls within budget, OPTIMAL Matings help to focus on buying or breeding better racehorses.
Whether you are new to the game, experiencing more losses than wins or just looking for a new approach, we are confident that we can help you breed or buy a better racehorse. To find out more about OPTIMAL Matings and how they can help your program, download a complimentary copy of Clark Shepherd’s “Blind Luck Or Designed Luck?: How A Kentucky Derby Winner Was Bred” at https://www.shepherdequineadvisers.com/free-report/
For inquiries or more information about Shepherd Equine Advisers, please contact Clark Shepherd at 859-321-6618, or by email at [email protected].