asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

What a proud moment for the Asmussen family when jockey Keith James, son of the winning Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and grandson of winning owner Keith Asmussen, won his first stakes race on Tuesday night at Lone Star Park. The young rider guided Super Stock to victory in the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity; it was just his fifth career victory as well.

Favorite Super Stock ($5.60), a Kentucky-bred son of Dialed In raced between horses with the pace before shaking clear at the top of the stretch and going on to win by three and a half lengths over Lucky Promise ($7.50) in second and Hulen ($2.80) third. Final time for the five and a half furlong stake was 1:04.95 over a fast track.

What a celebration it was in the winner circle! You've never seen prouder parents, Steve and Julie Asmussen congratulating their first born son on his first stakes win. His grandparents Marilyn and Keith were certainly watching from their home in Laredo, Texas, as well.

“Every aspect of his connections having a family affair means the world to me,” said jockey Keith James Asmussen.

“Racing has given us so many blessings as a family,” said winning Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. “And just speaking to my mom and dad after the race, you know to be able to make your parents that happy in the circumstances in which it happens with Keith James riding for them is a true blessing.”

This was also Super Stock's first career win. His initial start was last month at Keeneland on a yielding turf course which he didn't care for. He returned to Lone Star and ran second in an open Maiden Special Weight. Third time was definitely the charm for everyone involved!

Super Stock earned $68,188 breaking his maiden in this futurity.

Full order of finish behind the first three was Policy Limit in fourth followed by Island Sun, Bobby Brinkley, K C Tiz Moro, Stans Hookin Bull and Redbird's Interest.

The post ‘True Blessing’: Three Generations Of Asmussen Family Celebrate Texas Thoroughbred Futurity Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Toyota Blue Grass (G2) hopeful Basin, who races for Jackpot Farm, was the first horse to breeze over Keeneland's fast track Monday when he covered a half-mile in :50.20 around 5:45 a.m. The breeze was the second consecutive move at Keeneland for last year's Hopeful (G1) winner, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 a week ago.

In his most recent race, Basin was second in a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. The colt, which has won two of six races and earned $471,000, is ninth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

“In the last nine weeks he's gotten stronger and thicker; he's a happy, happy horse right now,” Jackpot's Ryne Poncik said on an NTRA conference call Tuesday afternoon. “I was talking to (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) yesterday, and I guess the kickback at Keeneland is rather hard. So, we definitely want to be forwardly placed and in the clear, so he doesn't have to worry about any kick back. With a good post and him being forwardly placed, I think we've got a good shot.”

In his three starts this season, Basin has been no worse than fourth. The colt ran third in the G2 Rebel, then fourth in the listed Oaklawn Stakes. Basin chased Charlatan home, beaten six lengths when second in the Arkansas Derby in early May; Poncik has always been impressed by the colt's hard-trying nature.

“His heart is bigger than his body,” Poncik said. “He's not a big, big colt, but he'll never give up until the end. He won't give up until he passes the wire, for sure.”

Basin is a member of the first crop by Liam's Map, who won the 2015 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. Jackpot purchased the colt for $150,000 at Keeneland's 2018 September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for breeder Cottonwood Stables.

Asmussen, North America's second-leading all-time trainer by wins (8,896) and earnings ($333,188,601), has started five horses in the Toyota Blue Grass with his best finish a runner-up effort by Storm Treasure in 2006. He sent out Jackpot's Zing Zang to a ninth-place finish in the 2018 Toyota Blue Grass.

Entries for the 96th running Toyota Blue Grass and five other stakes will be taken Wednesday. The Toyota Blue Grass carries 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

The post ‘Stronger And Thicker’ Basin Ready To Take the Next Step In Blue Grass Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post