Roll On Big O rolls with ease

HMDC CONNECTIONS RUN WELL AT THISTLEDOWN TO CLOSE OUT JULY

The most successful trainers will tell you, “Place them where they can win.” Sounds simple, but a lot of factors go into that decision including current form, most favorable distances, class evaluation and many others. Mike Rone found two spots on Monday that turned a profit.

Roll On Big O faced top tier allowance company in his first two starts, and Mike found the confidence builder he needed. Back to 5 ½ furlongs at a distance he had won at, wearing blinkers for the second time, veteran T.D. Houghton as a new jock in the saddle and taking a drop in class, was the ticket. Houghton put the strapping 3-year-old gelding on the lead, but it wasn’t an easy one. He was pressured for most of the race until the final furlong, when he pulled away under confident handling.

Roll On Big O, a robust chestnut with a prominent white blaze is a son of Cowtown Cat out of Echt by Fusaichi Pegasus and was bred by Mapleton Thoroughbreds. He now sports a record of 9-2-0-1 and $40,650. NOTE: “Big O” is an Accredited-bred and was beating Ohio-Registered company!

Mike Rone's own homebred Roll On Max made a good account of himself in the first race of the day, a $35,000 Allowance for Accredited-breds. The son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned (who stands at Duncan Farms) came into the race off of a front-running effort. Jockey Luis Rivera put him on the lead and they looked golden leading by two lengths in the lane, but were caught inside the final 1/16th. Roll On Max took the second spot and now has bankrolled $42,025 from six outings.