Quality Rocket should relish distance

Quality Rocket has done some of his best work at two turns, and he will be moving back to a route distance Tuesday for the $55,000 Cherokee Nation Classic Cup at Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma.

The race, at 1 1/16 miles, is for 3-year-olds and up bred in Oklahoma. It is the final stakes of the meet, which closes Wednesday.

Quality Rocket is part of an 11-horse field that includes stakes winners Timely Reply and United Patriot. Others adding depth include Kirk of Diamonds and Gospel Cherokey, who have both placed in multiple stakes races, and Dak Da Man, a recent allowance winner at Will Rogers.

Quality Rocket has registered three of his four career wins in route races and was second by a neck in the $70,000 Red Earth going two turns on turf at Remington Park in September. Quality Rocket earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 82.

“He took a bad beat in the Red Earth Stakes last year,” trainer Boyd Caster said. “It broke my heart. He got beat the last jump. I mean the last jump.”

Quality Rocket, an M. Gerald Ball homebred, has raced twice this year, both sprints against open company at Will Rogers. He was fifth in an overnight handicap at five furlongs April 8. Quality Rocket then returned to run second in a second-level allowance April 21, with the six-furlong race going in a sharp 1:10.91. The Beyer Speed Figure of 71 that he earned is the co-highest last-race number in the field Tuesday.

“He finished good, galloped out real strong,” Caster said. “I was pleased with the out.”

Caster said Quality Rocket was sharp in a seven-furlong work May 12 at Will Rogers Downs.

“He’s just really on top of his game right now,” he said.

Garrett Steinberg has the mount Tuesday from post 6.

“He’s going to lay close, no doubt about that,” Caster said. “Rocket, you pretty much pitch him his head and he’ll do the rest. He’ll lay fairly close. Hopefully, the pace isn’t too hot.”

Quality Rocket is by Backstabber, a son of Elusive Quality and a half-brother to Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Dialed In.

“We purchased Backstabber from Mary and Gary West a few years ago,” Caster said.

“Quality Rocket was the first baby by this stud.”

Following the Will Rogers meet, Caster will have some horses for the Wests at Lone Star Park near Dallas. He will be based at the Texas track for the first time. Lone Star as of Friday had not announced a start date for the meet, which has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Another major player Tuesday is United Patriot, a stakes winner at two turns who will be making his second start of the year. He was fourth in an overnight handicap against open company March 23 at Will Rogers. Lori Biehler has the mount from post 11 for her husband, trainer Michael Biehler.