Hit the Road’s quick burst of speed in mid-stretch left his foes reeling as the 4-year-old More Than Ready colt powered home a 3 3/4-length winner in Saturday’s $100,000 Thunder Road S. (G3) on the Santa Anita Park turf course.
Showing no signs of rust despite being away from the races since last July, Hit the Road patiently tracked Sombeyay and Bob and Jackie for most of the one-mile contest. He made a three-wide move coming into the homestretch, then turned on the jets to take command and win going away in a very good 1:33.35 on the firm turf.
“He’s a nice horse,” said winning rider Umberto Rispoli. “We always believed in him and had faith in him. I was on top of the race and by the five-furlong marker he was already pulling hard and I could understand he was fresh. He was so good today. At the top of the stretch, he had good acceleration and covered good ground. It was a good comeback, so now it’s up to (trainer Dan Blacker) what he is going to do.”
Owned D K Racing, LLC, Radley Equine, Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road is now five for eight lifetime, with three stakes wins, and has earned $254,751.
Hit the Road is the first foal out of Highway Mary and is from the family prolific stallion Silver Hawk and Grade 2 winner Wandering Star.
Hit the Road is More Than Ready’s sixth stakes horse in the first five weeks of 2021. More Than Ready is the sire of 93 graded stakes winners and over 200 black type winners lifetime.
