December, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Asmussen Starts Bid For Another Oaklawn Championship With Two Winners Opening Day

Hall of Famer and perennial Oaklawn champion Steve Asmussen saddled two winners on Friday's opening-day card, pushing his career total in Hot Springs to 757 (No. 2 all time).

Asmussen won the second race with Requisition ($9) and the fourth race with favored Chicken Hawk ($5.40) to grab an early lead in the standings. Asmussen and the late Hall of Famer Henry Forrest share the Oaklawn record for career training titles with 11.

Asmussen returns to Oaklawn after winning a meet-high 60 races, including eight stakes, during the 2021 live season. He also set a single-season record for purse earnings ($6,057,877).

“We're obviously very fortunate,” Asmussen said during training hours Friday morning at Oaklawn. “We've sent some extremely talented horses. Oaklawn offers the opportunity to run for good purses. Obviously, I like and am very comfortable with the stakes schedule here. Expecting a big meet.”

Asmussen holds career Oaklawn records for stakes victories and purse earnings, 96 and $41,762,480, respectively, through Friday.

Asmussen also was Oaklawn's leading trainer in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Asmussen is North America's all-time winningest trainer (United States and Canada) with 9,564 through Friday, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization.

The late Bob Holthus is the only other trainer in Oaklawn history to reach 800 victories in Hot Springs. Holthus won nine Oaklawn training titles.

Friday's second race marked Oaklawn's first for 2-year-olds since March 27, 1975.

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Dec. 5 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
WELL-BRED FILLIES DEBUT IN FLORIDA
3rd-GP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 12:58 p.m.
Stonestreet Stables' BLYTHE SPIRIT (Ghostzapper) makes her career bow in this event. The $550,000 KEENOV purchase is a half to SW & GSP Telekinesis (Ghostzapper). Their second dam is MGSW Gold Mover (Gold Fever), who produced SW Giant Mover (Giant's Causeway), dam of MGSW & GISP Family Tree (Smart Strike) and GSW & GISP Liora (Candy Ride {Arg}). Glen Hill Farm homebred Influencing (Tapit) also debuts here. She is the latest foal out of dual Grade I winner and multi-millionaire Marketing Mix (Medaglia d'Oro), who is also responsible for SP Global Brand (War Front). TJCIS PPs

ASMUSSEN UNVEILS PRICEY CONNECT
7th-AQU, $70K, Msw, 2yo, (S), 6 1/2f, 2:43 p.m.
Steve Asmussen saddles an expensive first timer for Stonestreet Stables in RELATE (Connect). A $100,000 FTNMIX weanling buy, he RNA'd for $70,000 as an FTKSEL yearling, but summoned $685,000 from Stonestreet at OBS April after breezing in :20 3/5.The dark bay's dam is unraced, but his second dam is SW Unbridled Danz (Unbridled's Song). TJCIS PPs

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El Caballo Wins Coral At Wolverhampton, Earns Spot On All-Weather Finals Day

El Caballo looks sure to be a live contender on Finals Day following a hugely promising victory in the Coral Proud To Support British Racing Conditions Stakes at Wolverhampton Racecourse in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom Saturday.

Runner-up to subsequent G3 Molecomb Stakes winner Armor on debut, El Caballo had been off the track since a stylish novice race success at Carlisle Racecourse in Carlisle, United Kingdom in May.

Despite the absence, trainer Karl Burke had issued a positive update beforehand and the 11/8 chance duly delivered under a confident ride from Clifford Lee.

In a three-runner field, El Caballo shadowed 11/10 favorite Navello throughout the six-furlong contest before making his challenge in the home straight. He joined Navello at the furlong pole and readily pulled clear of his 91-rated rival to win by three lengths.

This success provides El Caballo with a guaranteed place in the £150,000 Coral All-Weather Three-Year-Old Championships over the same distance at Newcastle on Finals Day.

Lee said: “El Caballo is a lovely horse who has been working really well at home. He should come on a hell of a lot for that.

“In his two runs this year, he ran a blinder first time out and then won comfortably.

“I think the big, galloping track at Newcastle will suit him. It was his first time around a bend today and he was a little bit green but, once he got straightened up, he has quickened away.”

Alan Crombie of part-owners Grange Park Racing said: “El Caballo is, without doubt, the best horse that Grange Park Racing has been involved in.

“We ran El Caballo first time out against Armor, who has now gone off to stud rated 111, and we said we wouldn't have been afraid of taking him on again. Then he has gone to Carlisle and won on testing ground and today he has won on the top of it. He is just a very good horse.

“He has come back from an injury and this run was to give him the confidence and to see where we are. He has shown he is well over that and now there is a lot to look forward to.

“Finals Day is an option. We will leave that to Karl as he will make the final decision on that.”

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Knicks Go Gets Back to Work

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter), seeking to become the first repeat winner of Gulfstream Park's $3- million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, recorded his first workout since capturing the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic a month ago.

The dark gray worked what was clocked as a three-eighths of a mile breeze in :36.20 (2/2) under exercise rider Edvin Vargas early Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Trainer Brad Cox said he timed Knicks Go galloping out a half-mile in :48 1/5.

“Well in hand, and I think he was out the five-eighths in 1:01 and 3,” Cox said. “He definitely hasn't regressed since the Breeders' Cup. He's been training extremely well, galloping great. Wanting to do more. You could definitely tell that the last week, 10 days, he was wanting to do more. He was very strong throughout this morning, around both turns and even up the backside [afterward]. The outrider collected him around the half-mile pole, so he seems to be the same Knicks Go that we saw before the Classic.”

Knicks Go is the prohibitive favorite to be voted Horse of the Year and champion older male champion.

Cox, who is seeking to repeat as the Eclipse Award recipient as North America's outstanding trainer, said Knicks Go will ship in a few days to the trainer's New Orleans division at the Fair Grounds.

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