Steve Asmussen

"Come on now, attention at the back!" But let's make a plea for indulgence, should any of the law lecturers at University College, Dublin, happen to find one student uncharacteristically distracted on resuming his course in September. Because whatever broad principles of contract may yet require elucidation, there are extremely good reasons why Freddie Duignan could find his thoughts straying to the value of a signature even then being scrawled on a document, 4,000 miles away in Kentucky. "My first day back in class is the first day of the...

Graded winner Magnitude (Not This Time) prepped for Saturday's GI Travers Stakes with a half-mile breeze over the Oklahoma dirt training track Sunday morning. Clocked in :50.22 (31/49) while working through a blanket of fog, the Steve Asmussen charge has been training up to the feature race this weekend after producing a 9 1/4-length masterclass last out July 5 in the Listed Iowa Derby. The son of Not This Time missed the Triple Crown series with an ankle chip, but has been moving forwardly since his return to the races...

6th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 4:06 p.m. ET. Amo Racing went to $900,000 to acquire GUITARIST (Quality Road) at last year's Keeneland September Sale. Sent to trainer Chad Brown, the colt is out of GISP Bernina Star (Harlan's Holiday), who was a $1.2-million buy for Don Alberto at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale while Sheza Shining Star (Curlin) was in-utero. Guitarist's dam is a half-sister to GSW National Flag (Speightstown) and SW Perfect Flight (Uncle Mo). Under the first-time starter's third dam we find GISW & MGISP Eddington (Unbridled)....

4th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 2:16 p.m. ET. MARAUDER (Gun Runner) heads the gate for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Co-owned by Winchell & Stonestreet, the colt is out of MGSW Dream Pauline (Tapit). She was bred and campaigned by Stonestreet and her own dam is MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush), a $3.3-million purchase by Halsey Minor during the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale. Dream Pauline's immediate family includes another Stonestreet homebred, Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy) who was the 2022 Broodmare of the Year. Of course, she produced...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale had its first million-dollar yearling when the two-day auction was just 13 hips old Monday evening and bidding stayed strong throughout the session, with the very last horse through the ring bringing $1 million. In all, nine yearlings reached seven figures Monday, led by a colt by Gun Runner, bred by Bobby Flay and consigned by Stone Farm, who sold for $2.7 million to Winchell Thoroughbreds. Twelve hit the million-dollar mark during the entire 2024 auction....

Even though Nysos (Nyquist) was 1-10 on the board, Saturday's GII San Diego Handicap was a race he didn't have to win. He sprinted in his last two starts and had never been the distance of a mile-and-a-sixteenth. He also has a couple of large gaps in his form, suggesting that trainer Bob Baffert was having a hard time keeping him together. None of that mattered in the San Diego. Flavin Prat, who flew in from Saratoga for the ride, rode a patient race and saved ground into the second...

2nd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 7-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.87, ft, neck. SOLDIER N DIPLOMAT (c, 2, Army Mule--Diplomatic Miss, by Violence) had his fair share of admirers at this year's OBS March Sale, ultimately hammering to St. Elias for $950,000 after gliding over the synthetic track in :10 flat (see below) during his under-tack preview. Having logged five breezes at Keeneland at the back end of the spring, he trained forwardly once transferred to the Spa in late June and was duly dispatched as the 9-10 chalk in a field of eight...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame continues to mark their 75th anniversary with several special Hall of Fame-themed events coinciding with the annual induction weekend celebration Aug. 1-2. Kicking off the festivities will be the traditional Hall of Fame induction ceremony held Friday, Aug. 1. The inductions will take place at Fasig-Tipton with doors open to the public at 9:30 a.m. and the ceremony starting at 10:30 a.m. The event is free to attend, but seating is limited. The 2025 Hall of Fame class is comprised of...

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Magnitude (Not This Time) went a leisurely half-mile in :51.68 (34/41) over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Saturday morning and is being pointed for the $1.25-million GI DraftKings Travers Stakes at the Spa on Aug. 23. A $310,000 Keeneland November weanling and $450,000 Keeneland September yearling, Magnitude led every step of the way to take the GII Risen Star Stakes by 9 3/4 lengths at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 15, good for a 108 Beyer and stamping himself as a leading contender for the GI Kentucky...

7th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:54 p.m. The most expensive member of Yaupon's heralded first crop, STRADALE was a $1,300,000 OBS April grad for Kaleem Shah's KSI after matching the sale's fastest furlong breeze time of :9 4/5 (see Summer Breezes) from the consignment of de Meric Sales, who purchased him initially as a yearling for $285,000 at FTKJUL. He is the first foal out of Twitterpated (Stormy Atlantic), a mare who is a full-sister to GI Matriarch Stakes winner Stormy Lucy. Steve Asmussen trains this firster who comes in...

Lone Star Park wrapped up its 29th Spring Thoroughbred Racing season Sunday, July 13, handling a daily average of $247,453 in Live On-Track handle and a daily average of $162,976 in export handle over the 41-day meet, which were both increases over 2024 figures by 2% and 5% respectively. Attendance for the meet increased 7% over 2024. Jockey Ramon Vazquez ended the meet with 55 wins, taking the leading jockey title for the second time after having won the 2020 title with 58 races. Among his biggest wins, the veteran...

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 12:35 p.m. ET. With the third highest return at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale, TAGERMEEN (Into Mischief) was taken home for $1.4-million by Mahmud Mouni after the colt fired a :9 4/5 during the under-tack show. Sent to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, the debuting bay is out of Silk Route (Empire Maker), who Mouni acquired for a mere $10,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November Sale. Tagermeen's extended female family includes GIII Lecomte Stakes hero Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute) and French Group 1...