Rock Hard Ten (Mercedes Stable) on back
Price: $20.95

ROCK HARD TEN IS THE SIRE OF BLACK ONYX RECENT WINNR OF THE SPIRAL STAKES AND IS A CURRENT DERBY CONTENDER.

PURCHASE BOTH BLACK ONYX HAT AND ROCK HARD TEN HAT & YOU WILL RECEIVE A free HORSEHATS.COM HAT!

24 X 30 Canvas Print ( Image size is smaller)

$600.00

Dark Bay/Brown Colt by Kris S-Tersa by Mr. Prospector
Owner: Ernie Moody
Trainer: Richard Mandella

At 3
WON Malibu G1
WON Swaps G2
2nd Preakness G1
3rd Santa Anita Derby G1

At 4
WON Charles H. Strub H G2
WON Santa Anita Handicap G1
WON Goodwood BC H. G2

Last Start: Goodwood BC H. G2
Next Start: Breeders' Cup Classic
Horsehat.com Fast Fact: Rock Hard Ten is the 17th grade or group one winner sired by the late, great Kris S.

There are big horses and then there is Rock Hard Ten. One can’t help but be awed by the almost black colt’s presentation of size and power. Standing over 17 hands tall at the withers, his neck seems to extend up another mile from there. Most times a horse of that size would not be blessed with the coordination to be a top athlete. Rock Hard Ten is clearly and exception to that rule.

"He's amazingly athletic for a horse his size," said jockey and TVG commentator Corey Black, who exercises the colt. "The best way I can put it is, he's Kobe Bryant in Shaquille O'Neal's body. He moves and does everything like an athletic average-sized horse, but he happens to be about 17.1 or 17.2 hands. He has a very high cruising speed.”

Rock Hard Ten used that cruising speed to crush the field in the G2 Swaps in July. An illness caused him to run poorly in the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth and to miss the Travers (G1) and other 2004 late season events.

The son of Kris S. is back, though, and in a big way. As if there was any other way. He joined the barn of Richard Mandella in October and won the G1 Malibu on December 26 in his first start for his new trainer. He followed that effort with a game win in the G2 Charles H. Strub and a big victory in the prestigious G1 Santa Anita Handicap. Those two scores make Rock Hard Ten the leading challenger to Ghostzapper for 2005 Horse of the Year honors.