Horse racing notes: Rock Your World enjoying retirement

When Rock Your World won the Santa Anita Derby successful awesome manner past April, leaving eventual Kentucky Derby victor Medina Spirit successful his wake, it looked similar trainer John Sadler had a peculiar colt successful his barn.

But Rock Your World, bothered severely astatine the start, finished 17th successful the Kentucky Derby and was winless successful 3 consequent starts earlier being retired to Spendthrift Farm.

“That was a spot of a caput scratcher,” Sadler said of Rock Your World’s descent from stellar colt to also-ran. “He ne'er truly came backmost to form. Since we sold the breeding rights, if we hadn’t person done that, we astir apt would person fixed him immoderate remainder and brought him backmost to tally him successful 2022.

“He’s proven to beryllium fashionable successful Kentucky. He’s got tons of mares (lined up). He’s a lad of Candy Ride, he’s got large confirmation. I consciousness bully astir wherever he’s headed due to the fact that he’s successful a truly bully spot.”

Rocket returns

C Z Rocket, seventh successful the Breeders’ Cup Sprint astatine Del Mar connected Nov. 6 and winless successful his past 5 races, returns to a way he’s enjoyed past occurrence astatine this play erstwhile helium runs successful a $120,000 allowance contention astatine Oaklawn Park.

The gelding’s connections are utilizing the contention arsenic a prep for the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes connected Jan. 29.

C Z Rocket, a $40,000 assertion by trainer Peter Miller for co-owner Tom Kagele successful 2020, was 2 for 2 past twelvemonth astatine Oaklawn, winning the Hot Springs Stakes and Count Fleet Sprint Handicap earlier tailing off.

He’s tally without the diuretic Lasix since May and hasn’t fared well.

“He needs it,” Kagele told BloodHorse. “I don’t deliberation there’s immoderate concealed helium was falling disconnected successful races that helium hasn’t had Lasix.”

Rene Amescua is the caller trainer, taking implicit for Miller, who has stepped distant from grooming for a portion but is inactive advising owners.

Santa Anita request to know

Fans 12 and older volition person to amusement impervious of COVID-19 vaccination presumption earlier being allowed to participate Santa Anita erstwhile the way begins its 85th winter-spring conscionable Dec. 26. Fans tin besides amusement impervious of a antagonistic trial effect taken 72 hours from day of the lawsuit to summation entrance. More accusation connected information protocols tin beryllium recovered astatine santaanita.com/health.

Opening time volition person a peculiar archetypal station of 11 a.m. for an 11-race paper that includes 3 $300,000 Grade I stakes – the Malibu, the La Brea and the American Oaks – and a trio of $200,000 Grade II races – the San Antonio, the Mathis Brothers Mile and the San Gabriel Stakes. The unbeaten Flightline is ticketed for the Malibu and Hot Rod Charlie is being pointed toward the San Antonio.

Gates unfastened astatine 9 a.m. opening day. Tickets for the conscionable are disposable by visiting santaanita.com/events. For much information, telephone 626 574-RACE.

— Art Wilson