The Meadowlands Racetrack's $220,000 final of the Berry's Creek has been drawn, and although Rock N Roll Heaven didn't win his elimination last week, his trainer, Bruce Saunders, is happy with his colt's starting spot
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One of last year's top two-year-olds with over $627,000 in earnings, Rock N Roll Heaven will start from Post 3 Saturday at the New Jersey oval. Rock N Roll Heaven finished third in his elim after being caught wide throughout the mile. The colt was also twice delayed heading to the starting gate in the race.
"It was the first time he had a trip like that," Saunders said of the elim. "Last year, he was either on the front end or ended up being third or fourth over and would go by horses. He came out of the race great. He was a little tired because of the trip and the humidity, but by the time we got him back to the barn, he was fresh again.
"His ear plugs came out twice [before the race] and we will rectify that with a new set of plugs this week," he added.
While Saunders had hoped to be picking his starting post in the final, he is happy with the outcome of the draw. Elimination winners Foreign Officer and Kyle Major will start to Rock N Roll Heaven's inside, from Post 1 and 2, respectively.
"I'm absolutely happy with Post 3," Saunders said. "We'll be able to see what's going to unfold from there. There are half a dozen in there that could win under the right set of circumstances, but the elimination winners are the ones to beat going into the final.
"We did some vet work on him Monday, nothing of any concern," he continued. "When I jogged him today, he was full of himself. I'd be surprised if he didn't put on his best race Saturday. He always comes to the track with his racing shoes on."
Rock N Roll Heaven won five of 10 starts and never missed the board as a freshman. A 1:50.2 romp in a Bluegrass division at the Red Mile, along with runner-up finishes in the Governor's Cup and Metro finals, propelled the colt to lofty earnings for the season. Frank Bellino of Bronxville, New York bought Rock N Roll Heaven, originally a $57,000 yearling purchase, for an undisclosed sum last June after the horse won qualifiers in 1:59.3 and 1:57.3 at Scioto Downs in Ohio. The colt is a son of Rocknroll Hanover out of the mare Artistic Vision, who won the final of the 2003 Overbid Series at the Meadowlands.
After the Berry's Creek, Saunders will send Rock N Roll Heaven into the first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes, which begins May 15 at the Meadowlands.
"I hope that he is able to earn enough in the first week of the sire stakes to be able to take the second week off," he said. "After that, we will send him up to Canada for the Burlington so that he can get start getting acclimated to the track at Mohawk. Then he will go in the North America Cup and then come back home for the Meadowlands Pace."
Saunders, who has handled top-flight pacers such as Misfit and Casimir Camotion, has yet to win his home track's signature event. Rock N Roll Heaven is the trainer's best prospect for nabbing his first million-dollar win in the Meadowlands Pace on Saturday, July 17.
"He's the best horse I have ever had," Saunders noted. "I've had older horses that could not do what he has done on the track. I've been in the 'Pace' before with a couple of colts who were on the periphery, but he is as good a horse as you could have heading toward the Pace."
The draw for the $220,000 Berry's Creek:
HD, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer, Line
1, 4, Morgan Shark, Montrell Teague, Joe Seekman, 10-1
1A, 6, Four Starz Trace, Brian Sears, Joe Seekman, 10-1
2, 8, Pang Shui, Ray Schnittker, Ray Schnittker, 8-1
2A, 10, Europan Union, Andy Miller, Erv Miller, 8-1
3, 1, Foreign Officer, George Brennan, Erv Miller, 4-1
4, 2, Kyle Major, Jody Jamieson, Monte Gelrod, 2-1
5, 3, Rock N Roll Heaven, Daniel Dube, Bruce Saunders, 3-1
6, 5, Cambassador, Ron Pierce, Steve Elliott, 12-1
7, 7, Fred And Ginger, Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke, 5-1
8, 9, Sharks Legacy, David Miller, Tom Fanning, 12-1
(With files from the Meadowlands)