by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — Since the beginning of her career, Rocklamation has competed in top company, yet never garnered much press, until she obtained what many considered a surprise in the $40,000 opening leg of the Overbid Series at Meadowlands Racetrack on March 2. Her conditioner, however, feels more headlines bearing her name will certainly come throughout her 4-year-old season.

“I think out of all my 4-year-olds she will be the one that breaks out,” said Ron Burke. “We got her late in the summer or the beginning of last fall. It was one start before she raced in the Jugette and she is one of those horses that fits our program. Those are the ones that usually do really well for us.”

A $50,000 yearling purchase at the 2009 Harrisburg Sale, the daughter of Rocknroll Hanover and Art Sale is owned by Our Horse Cents Stables, Stable 45 and Jerry Silva. Rocklamation is a half sister to Salevster Stallion (Western Hanover p,1:52f, $175,029) and paced 12 miles in her debut season with one victory, one second, one third and earnings of $86,719.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Rocklamation has banked $450,494 in her career.

Formerly trained and co-owned by Mark Harder, her sole victory was in a $51,500 division of the Countess Adios at the Meadowlands on August 5, 2010, but the filly did contest the $402,400 Sweetheart Final (fourth), a $90,336 Champlain division at Mohawk (fourth), and finished third in her $25,000 Breeders Crown elimination at Pocono before closing out her year with a seventh in the $600,000 final.

During her second year of performing, Rocklamation put her nose on the gate 20 times with a record of 5-4-3 and a bankroll of $340,575. Her first two miles were triumphs in non-winners events at Harrah’s Chester and the Meadowlands before a third place in the $150,000 Miss Jersey at the Meadowlands.

After a second in a $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stake event, the filly annexed the $76,200 Historic-Ladyship at Tioga Downs and then could not find the winner’s circle for her next 10 starts, which included the $272,500 Mistletoe Shalee (ninth), $150,000 Valley Forge Consolation (fifth), $193,150 Nadia Lobell (eighth), a $58,470 Jugette elimination (third) and the $175,410 Jugette final (second).

Rocklamation finally had her photo taken in a $25,000 elimination for the Breeders Crown at Woodbine, where she established her lifetime standard of 1:50.4s, and went on to finish fourth in the $500,000 Breeders Crown final.

The filly ended her season on a winning note by capturing the $194,890 Lady Maud at Yonkers Raceway on Nov. 12.

“She’s about as easygoing of a horse as you could be around,” Burke said. “She’s a nice horse and is real good around the barn. She does drift out a little bit, but I think that’s one of the things during her career that will make her a good half-mile horse.”

After two qualifying races, Rocklamation’s first engagement of 2012 was her victory in the first round of the Overbid and her next performance on March 9 in the second leg of the series was a fourth place finish. For this week’s final, the mare will start from the outside in post nine.

“Until she drew the nine hole I thought she was going to be just fine,” Burke said. “There really is not a big bunch of difference between all of these horses, but (the nine hole) does change it a bit. I think in the stretch she will have to use every bit of racetrack.”

Once the Overbid Series is in the books, Rocklamation still has quite few appearances to honor.

“As long as she maintains her form, she will probably be at every major race,” Burke said.