Hot Rod Charlie

Hot Rod Charlie began his career in a pair of sprints, one on dirt and the other on grass, finishing third as the favorite in the latter. He remained on turf for his third start and was unplaced when stretching out to a mile.

The Oxbow colt secured his first career win Oct. 2, 2020, when he won a one-mile maiden special weight race on the main track by a neck.

Trainer Doug O’Neill sent Hot Rod Charlie to Keeneland for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Nov. 6 at Keeneland. He made a bold move on the far turn and finished second to Essential Quality at 94.40-1 odds.

In his 3-year-old debut, Hot Rod Charlie finished third in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Jan. 30. With that win, he earned two points on the road to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Hot Rod Charlie finally got his breakthrough win on Mar. 20, taking the Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. He set the early pace, then fended off a challenge in the stretch from Midnight Bourbon for the win. He covered 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.06. With that win, Hot Rod Charlie earned 100 more Derby qualifying points.

In the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 1, Hot Rod Charlie battled on in the stretch after stalking the pace and finished third, beaten by about a length behind Medina Spirit. He was elevated to second nearly 10 months later after first-place finisher Medina Spirit was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for a medication positive.

Five weeks after the Kentucky Derby, Hot Rod Charlie finished second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, hanging in gamely after setting fast fractions on the inside. 

In his next start, Hot Rod Charlie was the odds-on favorite in the Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 17. He raced wide most of the way, then moved to challenge the leaders at the top of the stretch. As they neared the eighth pole, he came in on Midnight Bourbon, causing that rival to check and unseat his jockey. Although Hot Rod Charlie crossed the wire first, he was disqualified for interference. 

Hot Rod Charlie made his next start in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Sept. 25. He finally broke through for his first Grade 1 win, prevailing in gate-to-wire fashion by 2 1/4 lengths.

Hot Rod Charlie concluded his 3-year-old season with a fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 and the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Dec. 26. In between, he was voted the winner of the 2021 Vox Populi Award on Dec. 11.

In 2022, Hot Rod Charlie began his 4-year-old campaign half a world away from his usual haunts. He debuted Feb. 4 in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Presented by the Longines Record, a Group 2 stakes on dirt at Meydan Raceourse in Dubai, and won the 1 1/8-mile race by 5 ¼ lengths. That race served as a prep for the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline on March 26, and Hot Rod Charlie ran a strong second in the lucrative event, losing by 1 ¾ lengths to Country Grammer.

Hot Rod Charlie returned to the races on June 18, 2022, in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile. He went off as the overwhelming odds-on choice in the five-horse field, under new rider Mike Smith. He rated off the early pace, then battled with Mind Control in an exciting stretch duel. Ultimately, Hot Rod Charlie finished second by a nose to his classy rival. 

The colt followed up his effort at Monmouth Park with a solid third-place finish behind Life Is Good and Happy Saver in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

Hot Rod Charlie found the winner's circle in his next start in the Grade 2 $500,000 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs on Oct. 1, where he prevailed gamely after an exciting back-and-forth stretch battle over Kentucky Derby hero Rich Strike. Sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the Lukas Classic against a tough field that also included Art Collector and Happy Saver, Hot Rod Charlie ran the 1 1/8 miles in a time of 1:49.77 to win by a head. After Rich Strike is was another 4 1/2 lengths back to the third-place finisher King Fury.

Dennis O’Neill, Doug O’Neill’s brother and a bloodstock agent, bought Hot Rod Charlie for $110,000 as a yearling. Among his ownership collective is Boat Racing, a group of former Brown University fraternity brothers turned young owners including Patrick O’Neill, nephew of Doug and Dennis. Hot Rod Charlie is out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss and is a half-brother (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to champion sprinter Mitole.