Stakes success for Ballylinch's Fascinating Rock at Santa Anita

Fascinating Rock's first black-type winner as a stallion came at the glamorous setting of Santa Anita Park on Friday.

His son Earls Rock was a stylish winner of the Baffle Stakes and has brought his career record to two-from-two in the US at a clip, having taken a maiden special weight at the same track last month.

Bred by Newtown Anner Stud, Earls Rock had one start for Andrew Slattery as a two-year-old, finishing second in a Down Royal maiden behind the subsequent Group 3 Anglesey Stakes winner A Case Of You.

The second foal of winning Shamardal mare Ajaadat, who was bought for just €8,000 by Slattery as a yearling at Goffs, he has subsequently moved to the stable of Phil d'Amato and runs in the colours of Anthony Fanticola.

Dropping down to six and a half furlongs from a mile, he was given an unhurried ride by Flavien Prat and the jockey pushed the three-year-old out to hold off Beer Can Man.

Prat said: "The distance was a bit of a question mark, it was a little short for him, but he relaxed well behind horses and when I asked him to go, he really cut."

D'Amato added: "This is about as short as he wants. The jock rode a tremendous race. He was very patient and the way he split horses, it made all the difference."

Champion Stakes and Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Fascinating Rock is standing at Ballylinch Stud for €5,000 and has sired five individual winners from a modest-sized first crop.

D'Amato trained another Irish-bred winner in a maiden earlier on the card when Rathasker's Coulsty broke his stateside duck thanks to Coulthard.

Very promising in five Irish starts, the three-year-old was bought out of Michael O'Callaghan's yard for 90,000gns by Meah Lloyd Bloodstock at Tattersalls last October.

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