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Rock Me Baby Notches First Stakes Win / Wednesday, July 30, 2014

He’s all racehorse and he’s a barn favorite. The ever honest Rock Me Baby notched his first career stakes win with a four length score in Sunday’s $150,000 California Dreamin’ Handicap at Del Mar. He was second by just a head in last year’s edition of this Cal-bred event.

When the race was moved from the turf to the main track, four scratches resulted, leaving eight runners to go a mile and a sixteenth on the Polytrack. Under Corey Nakatani, Rock Me Baby settled perfectly before moving up three wide on the turn, bidding for the leading, and driving clear in the stretch.

He’s all racehorse and he’s a barn favorite. The ever honest Rock Me Baby notched his first career stakes win with a four length score in Sunday’s $150,000 California Dreamin’ Handicap at Del Mar. He was second by just a head in last year’s edition of this Cal-bred event.

When the race was moved from the turf to the main track, four scratches resulted, leaving eight runners to go a mile and a sixteenth on the Polytrack. Under Corey Nakatani, Rock Me Baby settled perfectly before moving up three wide on the turn, bidding for the leading, and driving clear in the stretch.

 

‘We’ve had our eye on this race ever since his return to the races in early June,” said Terry Finley. “Rocky is just an awesome horse to have in the barn, he tries every time and can run on any surface at any distance. Horses just don’t have that type of versatility anymore, so he’s pretty special.”

A jubilated Craig Dollase had confidence in his horse going into the race. “He worked super on the grass last week,” he said. “He broke off slow and then motored home, just like he did in the race. When he ran at Los Al last time, Corey moved a bit early, but rode him perfectly today. He’s got this horse’s number now. As hard as Rock Me Baby tries, he deserved to finally get a stakes win on his resume.”

Rock Me Baby is now under consideration for the $90,000 (plus $27,000 Cal-bred bonus) Harry F. Brubaker Stakes run at one mile on the synthetic on Saturday, August 30 at Del Mar.

Watch Rock Me Baby’s cheering section at Del Mar:

Rocky's Partners celebrating with champagne after the win:



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