From Golden Gate Publicity
ALBANY, Calif. (June 13, 2015) — California-bred Rock Me Baby, making his first start since Oct. 4, rallied from last-to-first under veteran jockey Corey Nakatani to score a one-length victory in the $61,065 Albany Stakes at Golden Gate Fields Saturday.
Trained by Craig Dollase, Rock Me Baby won the five-furlong turf race for 3-year-olds and up in 57.76 seconds and paid $6.00 as the second choice in the betting. Streamside placed second by head over Serbian Syclone, who took third by a neck over 8-5 favorite Alert Bay.
The victory was the seventh in 19 starts for Rock Me Baby, who earned his second career stakes win.
“This horse has a lot of talent,” said Nakatani of Rock Me Baby, who was racing five furlongs for the first time. “He’s a route horse and I didn’t want to get his momentum stopped once I got him started. I was able to weave my way to the outside and let him do his running. He’s a very nice horse, and what more can you say about the job Craig did bringing him off a long layoff.”
Southern California-based Dollase was happy he chose the Albany Stakes for Rock Me Baby’s comeback start.
“He was out with a little bone injury, and we gave him plenty of time,” said Dollase. “We came here because it was turf and I needed to get a race under his belt. I was afraid it would be a little short but I was hoping maybe class would tell in the final sixteenth (of a mile). I call it worth three workouts. I needed to get him tight for Del Mar. We’d like to run in the California Dreamin’ Stakes (a race he won last year) and then hopefully make it to the Breeders’ Cup.”
Rock Me Baby, a 6-year-old gelding by Rock Hard Ten, is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds. The Albany victory was worth $39,550 and increased Rock Me Baby’s earnings to $463,602.