Frustration prompted trainer Bob Young to send Piece Of The Rock to Meadowlands Racetrack earlier than he expected this season, but the three-year-old gelding has made steady progress since his arrival
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On Saturday night, the son of Rocknroll Hanover bids for his biggest career win in the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic. Rated at 10-1 on the morning line, Piece Of The Rock will start from post five with Andy Miller in the sulky.
The New Jersey Classic tops $1.1 million in stakes for New Jersey-sired horses Saturday evening, sharing the spotlight with the $175,000 Thomas D'Altrui Miss New Jersey for fillies and a pair of $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championships for trotters.
The New Jersey Classic and Miss New Jersey are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey and named for two of its founding members.
After a promising two-year-old campaign, Piece Of The Rock disappointed Young in his first two starts this season at Woodbine. In both outings, the gelding held a sizable lead heading into the stretch before quitting in the final strides.
"He's a very lazy colt, and his last start here on April 26 at Woodbine was almost an embarrassment," Young said. "Roger Mayotte drove him, put him on the front end and he just wouldn't respond [fading to third late in the mile]. He was 40 cents to the dollar and he should have put in a better effort. I was expecting him to go in 1:53 and he got beat in 1:55.1. That was a Monday night and I loaded him on the van that Thursday."
Young sent Piece Of The Rock to his longtime friend, veteran trainer Ron Coyne, Jr., in New Jersey. After finishing second in his Meadowlands debut, the gelding went on to post back-to-back wins. Piece Of The Rock closed in a final :26.3 panel to finish third in his New Jersey Classic elimination, won by 2-1 final favourite All Speed Hanover, on June 5.
"I sent him to the Meadowlands where Tim Tetrick could be a little more aggressive with him, and he won his first two races in 1:51.1 and 1:51.2," he continued. "You just have to keep after him, and it makes a difference. Even after those two wins, he raced well against a four-year-old who won in 1:49.1. Last week, he beat the Hoosier Cup winner [World Of Rocknroll] and got jammed in doing it.
John Campbell piloted the gelding in his elimination, but opted to drive Classic Rock Nroll in the final.
"He's good gaited and John Campbell liked him the other night in his elimination," Young said. "John said he's still a bit immature mentally, so he'll get better. All Speed Hanover obviously looked very good winning it. I think he's the horse to beat, but we've got no complaints right now."
Young bought Piece Of The Rock for $50,000 as a yearling at the Lexington Selected Sale. He shares ownership of the pacer with Jamie Trott, Frank Aloise and Brian Barton. The partnership had previous success with Artimmitateslife, a winner of more than $872,000.
"We had some fillies by Rocknroll Hanover, but we wanted a colt from the first crop," Young noted. "He was gelded in March last year. Some days he'd go out, train real well and be aggressive, and sometimes he didn't care at all. I put him away sound and he's come back that way."
Piece Of The Rock will head back to Canada for the Pepsi North America Cup after the New Jersey Classic.
"I didn't stake him the month of July," Young said. "His next event after that is the Oliver Wendell Holmes [August 7 at Meadowlands Racetrack]. If he's going to survive and be a decent horse for me next year, I have to give him a break somewhere. From August on, he'll race pretty much every two weeks. He's in the Battle of Brandywine, the Simcoe, the Jug, Lexington and the Matron. We're going to enjoy racing him."
(The Meadowlands)
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