Rattle N Roll shakes up juvenile picture in Breeders' Futurity

Oct 09, 2021 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Rattle N Roll made a big move into contention around the far turn,
stormed past 19-10 favorite Classic Causeway entering the stretch, and drew off to
convincingly win the $500,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland on Saturday.

The Breeders' Futurity, a stop on the 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby series,
awarded Derby qualifying points of 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers. The 10
points earned by Rattle N Roll were his first in the series.

Saving ground underneath Brian Hernandez Jr. down the backside until
commencing his winning rally, Rattle N Roll completed 1 1/16 miles over a fast
track in 1:43.78.

'He engulfed those horses pretty easily and, turning for home, he switched
leads; he knows his job and just went about it,' Hernandez said.

Owned by Lucky Seven Stable and trained by Kenny McPeek, Rattle N Roll won by
4 1/4 lengths paid $19.40.

Double Thunder rallied for second by a half-length over Classic Causeway, who cleared the field from post 13 and set a solid pace of
:22.81, :46.74, and 1:11.90 in his two-turn debut. American Sanctuary was
fourth. Those three also earned Derby qualifying points.

'I told my wife that if (Classic Causeway) rolls out of there early, we got a
real chance because that horse needed to really rate to win,' McPeek said. 'I think it set up
well for us.'

Third behind eventual Hopeful (G1) winner Gunite in his debut at Churchill
Downs in late June, Rattle N Roll made his reappearance two months later at
Saratoga, but bolted on the second turn of the nine-furlong test and was pulled
up.

'We were miffed by that,' McPeek said. 'His left eye was closed the next
morning, and the only thing we could figure he was hit the eye with a rock or
something.'

Despite that incident, Rattle N Roll was favored on Sept. 23 at Churchill
Downs in a 1 1/16-mile maiden, which he won stylishly by three lengths. He's now
earned $379,460.

Bred in Kentucky by St. Simon Place and sold for $210,000 at Keeneland
September, Rattle N Roll is by freshman sire Connect and out of Jazz Tune, by
Johannesburg.