When the lone division of The Diplomat Series takes place on Monday evening featuring sophomore pacing colts and geldings, Rockin Wizard will look to extend his career unbeaten streak to five.
The royally-bred son of the late Rocknroll Hanover is out of the millionaire Please Me Please with combined earnings of over $4 million between the pair -- a family that driver Randy Waples is quite familiar with.
“He’s a pretty lazy horse,” Waples said laughing. “It runs in the family, pretty much everything out of that mare has been lazy and he’s no different.”
Waples has driven each of Rockin Wizard’s four siblings for Hall of Fame trainer Bob McIntosh, most notably Rock Me Please (1:50.3 - $352,334), who finished third in the Metro Pace in 2009.
Waples believes that Rockin Wizard has the potential to be the most successful offspring on the racetrack.
“He’s gotten better and better with every start and he’s an easy horse to drive,” stated Waples. “He certainly belongs in this series (The Diplomat) and I think he’s capable of going on to do bigger and better things.”
Just how confident is Waples in the youngster?
“I don’t want to be too confident and compare him to a horse like Thinking Out Loud (last year’s North America Cup winner), but he’s definitely a Grand Circuit horse, in my opinion. No question,” he said. “If I could compare him to someone, it would like a horse like Dapper Dude (1:49 - $564,541).”
With his undefeated streak on the line heading into The Diplomat Series, Waples believes his charge is capable of doing “great things.”
“He’s a nice, good looking animal and obviously has the pedigree to do great things,” he said. “He obviously comes from a great barn and I think his best trip is from off-the-pace. He’s getting better with every start and I expect that to continue.”
With $33,500 in earnings, Rockin Wizard is owned by breeder Lothlorien.
The Diplomat Series is for three-year-old colts and geldings who are non-winners of $100,000 in 2012. Previous winners include millionaires Stonebridge Regal (2005) along with a pair of North America Cup winners in Tell All (2007) and Up The Credit (2011).
Also on Monday’s program, the Princess Series kicks off in single $20,000 division for sophomore pacing fillies who are non-winners of $100,000 in 2012.
To view entries for Monday night's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Entries - Woodbine Racetrack.
(WEG)