Rock Hard Ten - Three Year-old Season

Three Year-old Season

Rock Hard Ten was a late bloomer and did not race at age two due to shin splints. At age three he started late in relation to other three year-olds that began the march toward the Triple Crown by February. Rock Hard Ten stepped up in class four weeks before the Derby in the GI Santa Anita Derby and finished second to Castledale, but was disqualified and placed third for interference. Due to the late start in the season and disqualification in the Santa Anita Derby, Rock Hard Ten did not have enough graded stakes race earnings to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

The owners of Rock Hard Ten bided their time, watching the Derby and waiting two weeks later until the "Run for the Black-eyed Susans." In that race he faced the top four finishers from the Derby, including the eventual champion and "Dual Classic Winner Smarty Jones. In the grade one 2004 Preakness Stakes, Rock Hard Ten was fractious behind the gate and difficult to load. When the gates opened he broke alertly and jockey Gary Stevens placed him fourth in a field of ten runners. On Pimlico's famous club house turn jockey Mike Smith aboard Derby runner-up Lion Heart floated Smarty Jones out wide and in turn pushed the others horses even further outside. Rock Hard Ten was the most affected, pushed out to the six path on the turn and fading to seventh. Stevens wrestled with Rock Hard Ten fighting to hold him back and conserve ground. On the second turn he and Eddington made a charge at the leaders. The two moved up to challenge Lion Heart at the top of the lane. Rock Hard Ten then passed Lion Heart for the place spot, holding on to earn $200,000 as the Preakness runner-up. By that point Smarty Jones was five lengths in front and widening at every stride. Smarty Jones went on to win by the widest margin in 130 years at 11-1/2 lengths.

Following the Preakness, Rock Hard Ten went on to win two stakes races. Rock Hard Ten won the GII Swaps Stakes in July at Hollywood Park and the GI Malibu Stakes in December at Santa Anita Park.