Steve Asmussen

With the outposted Roderick (Into Mischief) scratching in favor of a start in Saturday's GII Best Pal S. at Del Mar, a field of 10 is set to face the starter for Friday's GII Saratoga Special S.,headed by a trio of promising 'TDN Rising Stars.' Trainer Steve Asmussen, already a four-time winner of the Special, sends out Stonestreet homebred Cazadero (Street Sense), who looks to take his record to a perfect three-for-three. The May foal, a son of MSW & GISP Wild Gams (Forest Wildcat), set a pressured early pace...

6th-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 8-2, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.77, ft. LADY LILLY (f, 2, Nyquist--Miss Inclined {MSP, $184,451}, by Pulpit) raced out to take an early lead, showing the way through initial splits of :22.48 and :45.82. In the clear turning for home, the $280,000 KEESEP yearling appeared to be home free, but despite getting leg-weary in the final sixteenth, the 9-5 choice held on for a neck victory over the oncoming Mo Dean (Uncle Mo). The winner's freshman sire, Nyquist, was registering his third winner, following Gretzky the Great's maiden...

L & N Racing's Echo Town (Speightstown) registered his first win at the highest level with a 7-1 upset in Saratoga's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Saturday. The bay raced in mid-pack early as recent GI Woody Stephens S. hero No Parole (Violence) doled out a first quarter in :22.67 with MGSW Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) pressing from second. Mischevious Alex turned up the heat on No Parole as the half went in :45.31 and Tap It to Win (Tapit) ranged up menacingly on their outside turning for home....

Calling it "the greatest win we've ever had" a little more than 24 hours after saddling a Grade I winner at Saratoga, trainer Steve Asmussen watched as his son Keith James Asmussen earned his first career victory as a jockey, guiding Inis Gulaire (Bernardini) to a head success in the Sunday maiden special weight finale at Lone Star Park (video). The 22-year-old had ridden 16 races prior to Sunday, with four runner-up efforts--including in his first career ride June 15--and three thirds among them. "It's a dream come true," the...

Sent off the prohibitive 2-5 chalk while making his first appearance in Grade I company, Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Volatile (Violence) fell out onto the lead, enjoyed a soft time of things on the engine and turned it on late to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. The Vanderbilt was reduced to a field of four by the gate scratching of Lexitonian (Speightstown), who was unlikely to have a say in the finish, but who may have set or otherwise...

John C. Oxley homebred Beautiful Memories (Hard Spun) headlines a field of eight juvenile fillies set for Thursday's co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. at the Spa. Trained by Mark Casse, the chestnut aired by 10 lengths for 'TDN Rising Star' honors on debut at Churchill Downs May 28. She's registered a pair of bullet workouts in Louisville since, including a five-furlong spin in :59 1/5 (1/34) July 4. Beautiful Memories' third dam is champion older mare Beautiful Pleasure, who carried Oxley's gold-and-blue silks to six top-level victories, led by a win...

6th-Keeneland, $69,123, Msw, 7-9, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:23.17, gd. PALIO FLAG (f, 3, Curlin--Private Ensign {GSP, $124,384}, by A.P. Indy) showed she had plenty of class in her unveiling Thursday with a good-looking victory. Breaking sharply from stall 10, the 4-1 shot stalked from a two-wide third through a :22.28 opening quarter and :45.27 half-mile. Drawing alongside the top two entering the turn, the chestnut rolled clear in the lane, holding off a belated bid from 3-2 chalk Movie Moxy (Street Sense) to win by a neck. It was 4...

All-sources wagering on Churchill Downs' abbreviated 27-date Spring Meet totaled $240.5 million, which was a 53.3% increase from the 32 days of racing that followed last year's Kentucky Derby. Additionally, the average daily handle was up 81.7% from $4.9 million one year ago to $8.9 million this season. Shortened to seven weeks from May 16-June 28, the 2020 meet was staged under strict government-sanctioned protocols and without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, Churchill Downs experienced four of the track's six largest non-Derby, Oaks or Breeders' Cup betting...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency HALF TO LA VERDAD DEBUTS AT ELLIS 4th-ELP, $37K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 3:14p.m. FUEGO CALIENTE (Will Take Charge), a half-brother to the late champion La Verdad (Yes It's True), makes his career bow in this spot for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. His fleet-footed half-sister won 11 black-type races and an Eclipse Award over her lengthy career for Linda Rice, earning over $1.5-million. The bay succumbed to colic in May after producing her fourth foal, a colt by Into Mischief. Out of SP Noble Fire...

Champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) was back to her best form Saturday at Churchill Downs, winning the GII Fleur de Lis H. with ease in her first start back on U.S. soil since finishing an ultra-game second in the Saudi Cup in February. GI Kentucky Oaks victress Serengeti Empress (Alternation) jetted straight to the lead, while favored Midnight Bisou bided her time back in mid-pack through a brisk :23.18 first quarter. Inched closer by Mike Smith, Midnight Bisou moved up into third, while still several lengths off the pacesetter, as...

Stonestreet Stables homebred Cazadero made good on his 'TDN Rising Star' tag with a dominant victory in the GIII Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. Demolishing the field by 8 3/4 lengths in his five-panel unveiling beneath the Twin Spires May 29, the Steve Asmussen pupil was heavily favored to repeat in this first juvenile graded stakes of the season. Breaking sharply, Cazadero tracked from a two-wide fourth as longshot County Final (Oxbow) blazed through a :21.24 first quarter. Ranging up two wide on the far turn, the bay...

4th-Churchill Downs, $80,750, Msw, 6-27, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.70, ft. WHISKEY DOUBLE (c, 2, Into Mischief--Lake Sebago {MSW, $243,225}, by Munnings), an $875,000 KEESEP buy, was sent off the 7-5 choice in this unveiling and settled in a stalking position as Medicine Tail (Kantharos) led through initial fractions of :21.81 and :45.78. Three wide turning for home, the Steve Asmussen trainee took aim in upper stretch and wore down the 7-2 shot late to score by 3/4 of a length. Windcracker (Super Saver) was third. The bay's dam is MSW Lake...