One day after breaking the all-time North American wins record, Steve Asmussen got right back to business in a big way Sunday at Saratoga, as his Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) shook off intense pace pressure and kicked clear in the lane to capture the GII Adirondack S. Adding to the significance of the moment, Wicked Halo is both by and out of Asmussen trainees, and her dam won the same race at the Spa in 2015.
Unveiled going five furlongs in the mud at Lone Star June 5, the homebred broke on top from the rail, won a pace fight and kept going for a two-length success, with the second and third finishers coming back to win next out. Tried in the Debutante S. three weeks later at Churchill, the gray was not off as well and dictated sizzling fractions before just fading late to be third.
Drifting up a bit to be the biggest price among four rivals who took the bulk of the play here, Wicked Halo was beaten out of the gate by Microbiome, but Jose Ortiz stayed aggressive and sent the Winchell colorbearer through inside of that one to eventually make the front through a scorching :21.55 quarter. Those two continued to spar past a :44.80 half as Mainstay looked to launch a three wide bid approaching the stretch, but that filly soon flattened out and Wicked Halo remained the last pace player standing going by the eighth pole. She slammed the door soon after and hit the line clearly in charge while understandably getting a little leg-weary. Deep-closing longshots Interstatedaydream and Saucy Lady T rallied mildly to get into second and third, respectively. Mainstay was fourth, while race favorite Onetheonesandtwos (Jimmy Creed) never factored, checking in sixth.
The win was Asmussen's second consecutive and fourth overall conquest of the Adirondack.
“Ron [Winchell, owner-breeder] giving us horses like this makes all the accolades possible,” he said. “This filly, her mother won the Adirondack, and what a great sire Gun Runner is proving to be. To duplicate what her mother did is very special.”
Asked about Wicked Halo surviving pace pressure and still emerging victorious, Asmussen said, “That's Saratoga tough. The filly on the outside [Microbiome] outbroke her a little bit. They ride aggressively here and horses either respond or get beat and she responded. For a 2-year-old filly, and the way she acted in the paddock off hard races, it's a level of class that is hard to come by.”
“In these 2-year-old stakes races there's going to be pace because a lot of them break their maiden wire-to-wire or are just sitting off it,” said winning rider Jose Ortiz. “A lot of times, the pace is going to be hot in races like this, and it was hot this time. Tyler [Gaffalione, aboard Microbiome] broke better than me. I put her up there and she responded well. They were going fast, but she was ready. Steve had her ready to run.”
Asmussen added that he's unlikely to run Wicked Halo back in the Sept. 5 GI Spinaway S., saying, “I think we may give her a break. I got overly aggressive with the mother and being fortunate to have the family continuously, you need to learn from it.”
Pedigree Notes:
Wicked Halo's victory gives Three Chimneys Farm's freshman sire Gun Runner two graded stakes winners in as many days, following Pappacap's score in the GII Best Pal S. Saturday at Del Mar. She is the first foal to race out of Just Wicked, a full-sister to Grade II winner My Miss Lilly out of SW Wicked Deed. Just Wicked is responsible for a yearling full-brother to the winner and produced another Gun Runner filly this season before returning to the dual champion once more.
Sunday, Saratoga
ADIRONDACK S.-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-8, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.99, ft.
1–WICKED HALO, 120, f, 2, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Just Wicked (GSW, $208,460), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Wicked Deed, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Marfa's Squall, by Marfa
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $110,000. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-1, $144,650. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. *Second SW for freshman
sire (by Candy Ride {Arg).
2–Interstatedaydream, 120, f, 2, Classic Empire–Babcock, by
Uncle Mo. ($105,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $130,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP; $175,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Flurry Racing Stables
LLC; B-William D. Graham (ON); T-Brad H. Cox. $40,000.
3–Saucy Lady T, 120, f, 2, Tonalist–Fila Primera, by War
Front. ($5,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-James K. Chapman &
Stuart Tsujimoto; B-R. S. Evans (KY); T-James K. Chapman.
$24,000.
Margins: 3HF, HF, HF. Odds: 4.70, 16.70, 36.75.
Also Ran: Mainstay, Microbiome, Ontheonesandtwos, J L's Rockette, Shesawildjoker, Boss Lady Kim.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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