Steve Asmussen

Down on Da Bayou (Super Saver) looks to follow up her devastating 19-length victory in the Feb. 20 G3 UAE Oaks with a victory over the boys in the Samba Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racetrack Saturday. The bay filly will be making her sixth lifetime start in the 1600-meter race, but her first away from Meydan. Billy Batts (City Zip), second in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, will be trying the dirt for the first time. The Peter Miller trainee, previously owned by Rockingham Ranch, will be...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The anticipation continued to build ahead of the $29-million Saudi Cup card, with a large crowd of locals and visitors on hand Thursday to watch contenders gallop over the mammoth King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh two days before the country's biggest-ever day of horse racing. Among the Americans on hand trackside on a chilly morning which quickly turned warmer as the sun rose was West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley and bloodstock agent Bruno DeBerdt. "I've been to Dubai a couple of times, but I was really...

A Friday hearing could bring much-needed clarity to the $23 million lawsuit against Ahmed Zayat and his financially troubled Zayat Stables, LLC, regarding whether or not the court-appointed receiver in the Kentucky case should be allowed to have broadly expanded legal powers over racing and breeding stock. But instead of categorically fighting the receiver's Feb. 18 motion for more control over his horse business, lawyers for Zayat on Feb. 20 filed a response that asked a Fayette Circuit Court judge to grant that motion in part and to deny it...

I have some thoughts on why fewer people want to own racehorses and why existing owners are shrinking their operations or getting out altogether. I breed to race about 15-20 mares in California, Kentucky and New Mexico. I buy 5-10 yearlings each year. I run in about 200 races per year, winning about 20% with 50% in the money. I have licenses in at least 10 states each year. I hire respected and successful trainers. I lose money on my racing operation. Lots of it. In years when I sell...

While the GI Kentucky Oaks will always be overshadowed by the GI Kentucky Derby, this year's Oaks has nothing to apologize for. Through the early round of prep races, it appears that the 2020 Oaks will include one of the deepest and most talented lineups in the race's history. That's still the case after the tragic loss of Taraz (Into Mischief), who had to be euthanized after suffering an injury in a workout Monday at Oaklawn Park. The early round of preps have produced some outstanding performances and several top...

A somewhat puzzling and well-beaten fourth as the second betting favorite in the Jan. 24 Smarty Jones S., Ed and Susie Orr's Silver Prospector (Declaration of War) made amends in no uncertain terms in Monday's $500,000 Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, parlaying a perfect trip into a one-length defeat of pacesetting Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky) at better than 9-2. Answer In (Dialed In), favored off his runner-up effort to Shoplifted (Into Mischief) in the Springboard Mile at Remington Dec. 15, checked in a distant third after racing erratically in...

Gold Street (Street Boss) will carry a three-race winning streak into Monday's $750,000 GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park. The bay has been perfect since earning his diploma by seven lengths at fourth asking at Churchill Downs Nov. 23. He captured the Sugar Bowl S. in his stakes debut at Fair Grounds Dec. 21, then stretched to two turns for the first time for a front-running score with a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in this track's Smarty Jones S. Jan. 24. All three of his victories have come over...

As has been well documented, the Fair Grounds road to the GI Kentucky Oaks has been enormously productive over the last 15 years, producing no fewer than eight winners on the first Friday in May, including Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Serengeti Empress (Alternation) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Finite (Munnings) is well on her way to adding to that impressive total after registering her fifth consecutive victory in Saturday's GII Rachel Alexandra S., easily lowering the colors of the previously unbeaten Eclipse Award winner British Idiom (Flashback). Away in good...

Undefeated British Idiom (Flashback), recently crowned champion 2-year-old filly of 2019, will make her sophomore debut in Saturday's GII Rachel Alexandra S. at Fair Grounds, where she'll meet Finite (Munnings), winner of four straight, and five other rivals in the 1 1/16-mile test. Bought for $40,000 as a Fasig-Tipton October yearling, the chestnut debuted in a maiden race at Saratoga restricted to purchases of $45,000 or less and posted a 3 1/2-length pace-pressing success. Shipped to Keeneland and stretched out to two turns, she blew away her competition to the...

A pair of talented half-sisters owned and bred by Three Chimneys Farm are nearing a return to action. 'TDN Rising Star' Guarana (Ghostzapper), victress of last term's GI Acorn S. and GI Coaching Club American Oaks, joined trainer Chad Brown's Palm Meadows string to begin the New Year and is close to her first breeze back. She's been sidelined since suffering her first career defeat when second as the even-money favorite in the GI Cotillion S. at Parx Sept. 21. "She came back jammed up after her race in Pennsylvania,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency WELL-BRED TAPIT FILLY DEBUTS AT GP 4th-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, 2:31p.m. Gary Barber's TAPITLIKEITSHOT (Tapit) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer Mark Casse. Out of MGSW millionaire Gold Mover (Gold Fever), the $400,000 KEESEP buy is a half to Sws Maleeh (Indian Charlie) and Giant Mover (Giant's Causeway), who is the dam of MGSW Family Tree (Smart Strike) and GSW & GISP Liora (Candy Ride {Arg}). She is also a half to the dam of SW & GSP 'TDN Rising...

Gold Street earned 10 points towards the GI Kentucky Derby Friday with a front-running score in Oaklawn's Smarty Jones S. Let go at 10-1 in this first try beyond six furlongs, the $150,000 KEESEP buy went straight to the lead under Martin Garcia and loped along through splits of :24.08 and :48.96 with Lynn's Map (Liam's Map) glued to his outside hip. That rival called it quits on the backstretch and 'TDN Rising Stars' Three Technique and Shoplifted ranged up to challenge entering the turn. However, Gold Street still had...