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 while three wide rounding the far turn, set his sights on the leader approaching the quarter pole and powered home down the stretch to graduate by 5 1/2 lengths over Grantham (Declaration of War). This is the 15th winner for Classic Empire. Steven and Brandi Nicholson of Silver Fern Farm went to $180,000 to acquire the stakes-placed Rever de Vous in foal to Honor Code at the 2017 KEENOV sale. She is also responsible for a Frosted filly of 2020 ($32,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Andrew McKenzie) and a colt by Classic Empire of this year. Rocket Dawg's third dam is GISW Silver Maiden (Silver Buck). Sales history: $185,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $375,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,460. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc. & Ten Strike Racing; B-Steven & Brandi Nicholson (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
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