Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Tuesday, February 21
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's racing from Taunton, Market Rasen and Southwell.
Month: February 2023
Hong Kong Superstar Purton to Ride Artorius in Australia
Top Hong Kong-based jockey Zac Purton will return to ride in his native Australia for the first time since the 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup, Australia's News Corp. reported.
The 40-year-old reinsman will pilot Group 1 winner Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) in the G1 Canterbury S., the 2-year-old King's Gambit (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) in the G2 Todman S. and possibly Communist (Aus) (Russian Revolution {Aus}) in the G1 Randwick Guineas, all at Royal Randwick on Mar. 4.
“I am coming back to ride Artorius in the Canterbury Stakes and some other very good horses,” Purton told News Corp. “It works out well because I got suspended [Sunday] in Hong Kong and I start my suspension after I ride in Sydney, so maybe I can spend a bit of extra time there [in Australia.
Purton has won Group 1 races in five countries since he started riding in 2007.
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Asmussen Picks Up Win 10,000
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen reached another personal milestone in his career on Monday at Oaklawn Park, winning his 10,000th race. The first North American trainer ever to reach that number, Asmussen recorded the historic win in the fifth race on the card with $40,000 maiden claimer Bet He's Ready (More Than Ready), an easy winner under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.
“This is very hard to put into words,” Asmussen said from the Oaklawn winner's circle. “There's all the support that we have continually gotten. This is a family affair for me with my mom and dad and my coming from a racing family. I got so many well wishes since we got close. This is a wonderful thing and I'm blessed to have my family here and to have all the continuing support that I get.”
The win ended an uncharacteristically cold streak for Asmussen. He picked up win 9,999 in the first race on Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park with maiden claiming winner Noble Honor (Distorted Humor). From there, Asmussen had 29 straight losers before the win with Bet He's Ready.
“We were stuck on 9,999 for quite enough time,” Asmussen said. “I guess we wanted to make it a little bit dramatic.”
The win at Oaklawn was also the 700th at that track for Santanta.
“We've hit some significant milestones with Ricardo and I am sure we will continue to do so,” Asmussen said.
To honor Asmussen's win, Oaklawn donated $5,000 in his name to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and another $5,000 to the Arkansas Thoroughbred Retirement & Rehabilitation Foundation.
Monday's feat was just the latest for a trainer who, when it comes to winning races, has no equal. Asmussen began his career in 1986, winning just one race that year with a horse at Ruidoso Downs. He consistently improved his numbers over the years and had a career-best 407 wins in 2002. In 2004, he set a single-season record for wins by a trainer with 555, surpassing the previous mark of 496 held since 1976 by Jack Van Berg. He topped his own record in 2008 with 621 wins and topped it again in 2009 with 650 victories. On August 7, 2021, Asmussen won his 9,446th race, surpassing the late Dale Baird to become the leading trainer in North America by wins when Stellar Tap (Tapit) won the fifth race at Saratoga.
Just 57 and in the prime of his career, Asmussen is likely to record several thousand more wins before he is done and further pull away from the pack. Jerry Hollendorfer is second all-time in North America with 7,757 wins, but has averaged just 35 wins per year since 2020.
Asmussen's next target will be the Peruvian trainer Juan Suarez Villarroel, who has the most career wins of any trainer in the sport. Suarez Villarroel entered Monday's action with 10,336 career wins.
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Breeders’ Futurity Runner Up Loggins Off Derby Trail
GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity runner up Loggins (Ghostzapper), who hasn't had a recorded work since before the Breeders' Futurity, was officially removed from Kentucky Derby consideration by trainer Brad Cox Monday.
“He's not here,” said Cox in reference to where the colt is currently training. “He's off the Derby trail. He's in light training. At this point, it's too late in the season to bring him here (Fair Grounds). We will get more serious with him when we get back to Kentucky.”
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