Frank’s Rockette rockets to a 10th career stakes victory in the Roxelana Overnight (Coady Photography)
Candy Man Rocket Looks To Redeem Himself in G3 Runhappy
Rocket Can To Rest Up After Derby Ninth
NYRA Press Office
ELMONT, N.Y.— Owner Frank Fletcher said his multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire mare Frank’s Rockette could have some Spa days in her future, targeting graded stakes engagements at Saratoga Race Course this summer for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Frank’s Rockette has won 10 stakes – five at graded level – over seven different ovals, including the Grade 3 Victory Ride and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom here during her sophomore campaign. The bay daughter of Into Mischief appears to still be in top form during her 6-year-old campaign having won both of her starts this year. After an eight-length romp in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie on March 11 at Gulfstream Park, she cut back to six furlongs to capture the April 29 Roxelana at Churchill Downs.
Fletcher said the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap on July 26 and the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina on August 26 are potential future targets for the talented Frank’s Rockette. She garnered previous Spa success when taking the Grade 2 Prioress during her 3-year-old year and finished a close second to Kimari in last year’s Honorable Miss. Additionally, she finished second in both the Grade 2 Adirondack and Grade 1 Spinaway during her juvenile campaign.
“She’ll probably go to Saratoga. Billy likes to run her about every 60 or 70 days. She’s 6-years-old and that’s why she’s still winning because he doesn’t run her as often,” Fletcher said. “She’s a phenomenal mare and I always know when she goes in the gate, that something good is going to happen because she never throws in a clunker. She’s one of my favorites.”
A Kentucky homebred, Frank’s Rockette is out of the graded-stakes winning Indian Charlie mare Rocket Twentyone. She has an unraced 2-year-old full brother named Top Gun Rocket. Through a consistent 27-12-9-3 record, she has amassed $1,408,733 in earnings.
On Saturday, Mott and Fletcher will team up in the Grade 3, $175,000 Runhappy with graded stakes winner Candy Man Rocket. The lightly-raced 5-year-old son of Candy Ride finished an uncharacteristic last-of-10 in the last out Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap on April 15 at Oaklawn Park which followed a win in the six-furlong Gulfstream Park Sprint on February 25.
“He got all worked up before the race and started sweating and the crowd got to him that day,” Fletcher recalled. “I hope he’ll do a lot better over there.”
Candy Man Rocket announced his presence during his sophomore season when capturing the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in March 2021 at Tampa Bay Downs. After unplaced finishes at two-turn graded stakes level, he cut back to six furlongs and finished a close second in the local Gold Fever in May 2021. He did not race again until the following February, capturing a seven furlong allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in what ended up being his only start as a 4-year-old.
Fletcher said a hoof problem was the reason for the gaps in his form.
“That’s the only problem he’s ever had, but he’s fine now. He’s back and ready to go,” Fletcher said. “I think we’re still learning a lot about him. His feet were bothering him which is why he took almost a year off. He’s got a big heart and he loved running down there in Florida. We’re still figuring him out as we go along. I’m anxious to see what he does in this next race.”
Candy Man Rocket breaks from post 4 in the Runhappy under regular rider Junior Alvarado.
Fletcher provided an update on his graded stakes winner Rocket Can, who finished ninth under Alvarado in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. There, the son of Into Mischief stalked the pace from seventh before advancing into fifth. He appeared poised to make a big run around the far turn but flattened out, finishing 11 lengths behind the victorious Mage.
“I don’t know what the next step for him is. He ran hard, the jockey told me that he just got tired there at the very end,” Fletcher said. “We would have loved to have won it, but we were tickled to death and very pleased with what he did. We’ll probably give him some rest now and I think he’ll be able to win some big races.”
