Steve Asmussen
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PAIR OF WELL-BRED DEBUTANTES IN CHURCHILL OPENER 1st-CD, $79K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:00p.m. The appropriately named LUCKY FIND (Uncle Mo), a $50,000 KEESEP buy from a deep Helen Groves family, makes her career bow in this spot for Glen Hill Farm and Tom Proctor. Out of MSW Tea Time (Pulpit), the bay hails from the family of dual champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) and Grade I winners Arch (Kris S.) and Acoma (Empire Maker). Robert and Lawana Low homebred Sea Garden (Curlin) also debuts in...
Champion Storm the Court (Court Vision) seeks his first victory of the season in Saturday's GIII Ohio Derby. Clinching the Eclipse award with a narrow upset at 45-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the bay checked in fourth to recently retired GI Arkansas Derby winner Nadal (Blame) in the GII San Vicente S. Feb. 9. Third to recent GI Santa Anita Derby runner-up Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 7, he was sixth in Nadal's edition of the Arkansas Derby. Steve Asmussen saddles a live...
Stonestreet Stables homebred Cazadero (Street Sense) looks to make good on his 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut in the GIII Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs Saturday, the first graded event of the season for juveniles. The Steve Asmussen trainee demolished the field in his five-panel unveiling here, earning his diploma by 8 3/4 lengths May 29, good enough to earn an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. The Hall of Fame conditioner also saddles Hulen (Tapiture), a 1 1/2-length debut graduate beneath the Twin Spires June 12. Peter Miller ships Herd Immunity...
3rd-Churchill Downs, $77,248, Msw, 6-19, 2yo, 5f, :57.49, ft. JACKIE'S WARRIOR (c, 2, Maclean's Music--Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred) topped off a concise worktab with a bullet half-mile from the gate in :47 1/5 (1/35) at Keeneland June 9 and was made the 21-10 second favorite on debut. Hustled along early to contest the pace from the inside, Jackie's Warrior was taken hold of by Ricardo Santana, Jr. at the 3 1/2-furlong pole and switched out into the two path. Despite having lost some momentum in so doing,...
Calumet Farm's homebred Jungle Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) posted a half-mile breeze in :50.50 (12/15) over the Belmont training track Tuesday in preparation for Saturday's GI Belmont S. Winner of the Clever Trevor S. at Remington Park last November, the bay colt is coming off an eighth-place effort in the May 2 GI Arkanas Derby. "It was a nice easy half in :50 and change," said Toby Sheets, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. "He galloped out in a minute. Not a big gallop out, but we're very happy with it....
Dismissed at 14-1 in Saturday's six-horse GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont, Steve Asmussen trainee She's a Julie (Elusive Quality) rediscovered her best form to narrowly defeat favored Point of Honor (Curlin) and earn a guaranteed spot into the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff later this season. Ollie's Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}) had to settle for third after chasing hot splits early. She's a Julie took the GI La Troienne S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard some 13 months ago, but hadn't returned to the winner's circle since then and...
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen surpassed Dale Romans as the winningest trainer in the history of Churchill Downs Friday, sending out Drop Dead Gorgeous (Strong Mandate) to win the opening race on the program. The victory was his 738th at the historic Louisville oval. "If anyone knows American horse racing, they know what Churchill Downs means to the sport," Asmussen said. "This is a very significant honor. I know the people who have been in this spot before, and been here consistently, and for us to have won the most...
Thoughtfully (Tapit), a $950,000 purchase by Heider Family Stables last summer at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, was bet down to odds-on debuting Thursday at Churchill and ran to the money with a dominant score to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star'. Showing a quintet of works at Keeneland for trainer Steve Asmussen capped by a half-mile gate breeze in :47 1/5 (3/29) June 2, the dark bay was backed at 7-10 and led early before deferring to sit third. Inching closer past a :22.65 quarter, she drew on even terms at the...
The lightly raced and flashy Volatile was pounded in the wagering and showed exactly why as he continues to build a set of past performances that look awfully similar to former stablemate at last year's champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya). Drawn six of six in a field with plenty of speed on paper, the overwhelming chalk perched three wide off the early pace of :21.48 set by the fleet Bobby's Wicked One (Speightstown) and was poised to pounce while deep at the entrance to the stretch as the half-mile was up...
Cazadero (Street Sense) was a bit chilly on the board at 5-1 for this unveiling, but proved the betting public wrong with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation. The Stonestreet homebred broke on top and was hounded by Knicks Front (Outwork) through a :22.12 first quarter. A bit wide off the turn for home, the dark bay slammed the door on his foe in the stretch, cruising clear with ease to win by 8 3/4 lengths. Barbara Banke's operation purchased the winner's MGSW & GISP dam Wild Gams for $1-million at...
The stewards at Prairie Meadows Monday disqualified the second-place finisher in the 2019 Iowa Derby. They ruled that a post-race positive test for the beta-blocker drug Atenolol was likely the result of "inadvertent exposure," yet because of mitigating factors that included the "extensive medication violation history" of trainer Steve Asmussen, the Hall-of-Fame conditioner would be fined $1,000. Atenolol slows the heart rate and decreases blood pressure when prescribed in humans for various cardiac ailments. The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) lists it as a Class 3, Penalty B substance...
1st-Churchill Downs, $75,449, Msw, 5-22, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :51.76, ft. COWAN (c, 2, Kantharos--Tempers Flair {SP}, by Smart Strike), a $185,000 KEESEP yearling buy, RNA'd for $385,000 after breezing an eighth in :10 at OBSMAR earlier this spring. The chestnut fired a four-furlong bullet in :46 2/5 (1/90) at Keeneland May 2 and wasn't much of a secret at 3-5 here. Drawn on the fence, Cowan was hustled to the front beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr., but was hounded to his outside by the slow-starting Sheriff Bianco (Speightster), who made a...