D P Rocket tops 2-year-old trotters
August 18, 2018,from the Iowa Harness Horse Association
Humboldt, IA — D P Rocket won again at Humboldt, her third time this year, in a 2:04.3 performance keeping her on top of the Iowa leader board in 2018 on Saturday (Aug. 18).
“She obviously likes Humboldt,” said trainer Adam Hauser. “She wins on this track.”
The filly first set the mark for the fastest 2-year-old trot on July 7 in a wire-to-wire win in 2:05.1, beating out the very capable Tom Ridge filly, SB Head Of State, by a nose. D P Rocket’s second Humboldt win was last week, drawing the outside and settling into last. Hauser made a move at the half and remained parked until launching three-wide to shoot past the field in a 31-second last quarter, finishing in 2:08.
Iowa Harness Horse Association photo
D P Rocket is from the first crop of the Iowa sire All In Tad, a son of Conway Hall, and is out of the Striking Sahbra mare Striking Annie. Owner Fred Wagner traded another horse for the filly. He keeps her at his farm in the off season and brought her to Hauser’s stable this February.
“We went slow with her because of all the ice up in Humboldt this winter,” said Wagner.
In addition to weather, Hauser faced other challenges with the filly.
“She is very head shy,” explained Hauser. “Early in the season she’d make breaks because something like a little stone would hit her. We put a bigger shadow role on her and a pair of trotting hopples and she is much better.”
“She appears to be coming around,” Wagner agreed.
In today’s race D P Rocket drew post position five in a seven horse field. Hauser fired the filly out of the gait, but top Iowa-Registered filly Bankn-On-Emily and driver Royal Roland beat her to the draw. D P Rocket sat parked jostling between second and third, hung out by Al-Mar Humdinger who had also just come off a win last week, but had stepped up in class. Bankn-On-Emily cashed in a :30.1 first quarter.
Taking advantage of a break by Al-Mar Humdinger, D P Rocket ducked in second taking a breather behind Bankn-On-Emily who passed the half in 1:01.4. Bankn-On-Emily tried to separate from the field, but D P Rocket matched her stride for stride sitting tight in second at the three-quarters in 1:33.2.
Hauser tipped out D P Rocket at the point of the final turn in a burst of speed to match Bankn-On-Emily nose-for-nose.
“I was hesitant to pull her, being behind Emily,” said Hauser. “But when I did she went on.”
The pair battled down the stretch with D P Rocket continuing to accelerate. The pair blew by the leader taking the race in 2:04.3, the fastest Iowa 2-year-old trot of 2018.
Wagner and Hauser are looking forward to the rest of the season.
“I think she can go more,” said Hauser. “She’s a nice filly.”
Iowa racing action resumes tomorrow, Aug. 19, with 3-year-old Iowa-Registered competitors taking to the track. Post time is 12:30 p.m.