Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Countdown to 9,446: Asmussen Has Five Saratoga Opening Day Entries

Steve Asmussen has five horses entered in Thursday's opening day program at Saratoga racetrack in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., as the Hall of Fame trainer closes in on the all-time win record of 9,445 held by the late Dale Baird.

Going into Thursday's action, Asmussen has won 9,425 North American races from 45,803 starts, 20 wins shy of Baird, who competed primarily at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia, a track previously known as Waterford Park. Baird died in a multi-vehicle accident in 2007 at the age of 72. Unlike Asmussen, who has saddled six North American champions and earned two Eclipse Awards as outstanding trainer, Baird went through his career without winning a graded stakes.

A 55-year-old South Dakota native from a horse racing family, Asmussen started out as a jockey but quickly outgrew that occupation, moving to training in 1986, winning once from 15 starts. His stable grew over the years, with several divisions throughout the country, and Asmussen became the first trainer in history to win more than 500 races in a single year, scoring 555 times in 2004. He owns the single-season win record of 650 victories, set in 2009.

In addition to the five entered Thursday at Saratoga (including Jaxon Traveler in the Grade 3 Quick Calls Stakes and Eagle Express and Velvet Sister in the G3 Schuylerville), Asmussen has one entry at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind.

Wednesday, July 14: No entries

Thursday, July 15: Five entries

Friday, July 16: Eight entries

Career stats: 45,803 starts – 9,425 wins, 7,641 second, 6,514 third. Career earnings: $360,236,834

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Five Stakes Highlight State Breds On Stars Of Texas Day At Lone Star

Five stakes were carded Saturday at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas on Stars of Texas Day. The first of the five was Race 7, the $75,000 Valor Farm Stakes for Accredited Texas-bred fillies & mares, 3-yr-olds & up.

Ima Discreet Lady and Shes Our Fastest dueled for the early lead in the six-furlong sprint on the main track. Ima Discreet Lady got the edge and carried the winner and favorite wide, Shes Our Fastest (2.60). The winner drew clear late to win under a drive.

Final time was 1:10.96 on a fast track. Fractions were :22.98; :45.72, and :58.13. Natalies Joy made a mild late rally to get up for third and Samborita finished last. Boerne and Gee She Sparkles were scratched from the race.

Scott Gelner was the winning trainer for owners Mark Norman and Norman Stables LLC. Winning rider was Stewart Elliott.

Saturday also saw the $75,000 Fiesta Mile for Accredited Texas-bred fillies & mares 3-yr-olds & up contested on the turf course which was labeled firm.

Favorite Boerne vied for the early lead on the inside, made an inside move leaving the turn to draw clear in the final furlong. It was a good effort, but she was caught late by the winner, Miss Perfecta (8.60). Miss Perfecta angled out for racing room leaving the turn and was set down to get up late driving. Corluna moved into contention out of the turn, but lacked needed effort and got up for the show. Zarelda was fourth followed by Herbs Love, Discreet Smile, Kitty's Queen, and Set the Pace completing the order of finish.

Final time for the mile on grass was 1:35.20. Winning owners were Tyree J. Wolesensky and Jose Silva, Jr. Miss Perfecta is trained by Hall of Fame trainer, Steve Asmussen. Jockey Stewart Elliot was aboard.

The $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, Filly Division produced longshot winner, Streak of Silver (36.00), for owner Carl R. Moore Management LLC. Second place finisher, Expect the Boss was crushed on both sides leaving the gate, recovering to get into contention with the winner, but flattened out late. Favorite, Red Hot Moon dueled early, but weakened on the drive, but was better than the others for the show.

The final time for the five and one half furlong futurity was 1:05.91 on a fast track. Fractions were :22.63, :46.49, and :59.22.

Karen Jacks was the winning trainer and Iram Diego was the winning jockey.

Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch's Tengo Mis Pepeles (3.80), trained by Bret Calhoun, impressed again today winning the $100,000 Colt & Gelding Division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity. The victorious grey colt by My Golden Song won his debut here on June 13 in the Texas Stallion Stakes by nine and three-quarters lengths. Today's win margin wasn't as far as that effort, but the one and one half length win today showed the 2-yr-old's confidence and professionalism. Reylu Gutierrez was the winning rider.

Final time for the five and one half furlongs was 1:50.02 behind fractions of :22.14, :45.56, and :58.42.

Sparky Hale took aim on the winner out of the turn and was gaining and held on to second over third-place finisher Stan's Miracle Man who was gaining fast.

Fourth-place finisher was Simply Wicked, followed by Ghost Cowboy, Hedaresthedevil, Dare to Fail, Linc's Boy, On My List, Pickingupstrangers, Timed Event, and Royal Tap.

The final stake on the card was the $75,000 Assault Stakes at one mile on the turf for Accredited Texas-bred horses, three years olds and up.

Winner, Kenai Bob (11.50) was off first, but allowed second-placed Mr Money Bags to set the pace shortly thereafter, settling in behind him through ultra slow early fractions. Kenai Bob made a bid in the stretch, slowly edging clear late to win by three-quarters of a length. Mr Money Bags was the leader throughout most of the race, but was out-finished to get second. Favorite Sunlit Song was well placed, but was boxed in and was slowly gaining late only to get third. Moojab, Jr. ran fourth with Men of Kyle, Gold Pilot, Direct Dial, and Gottherightonebaby completing the order of finish. There were three late scratches, Gunnerscelesticman, He's a Sailor, and Quarterback Dak.

Final time for the Assault was 1:36.12 over a firm turf course. Fractions were :24.64, :49.62, 1:12.83, and 1:24.51.

Kenai Bob is owned by Michael Grossman, trained by Francisco Bravo, and was ridden by Luis Quinonez.

Tomorrow, Sunday, July 11 is the final day of the meeting. First race post time is at 2:05 p.m. There are 11 races on the final card.

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Sunday’s Insights: Malibu Moon ‘Rising Star’ Returns at Belmont

7th-BEL, $92K, Alw, N1X, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, post time: 3:47 p.m. ET
The rail-drawn HARPER'S IN CHARGE (Malibu Moon) makes her first start since posting a runaway wire-to-wire 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut at Aqueduct Nov. 15. The $220,000 KEESEP yearling purchase's unraced dam Azara (More Than Ready) is a half-sister to the brilliant Tepin (Bernstein) and MGSW Vyjack (Into Mischief). Harper's in Charge has a pair of bullets on her worktab for this at Christophe Clement's Saratoga base. Even-money morning-line favorite Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot), runner-up behind the unbeaten Australasia (Sky Kingdom) in the Jersey Girl S. at second asking June 6, is cross-entered in Saturday's GIII Victory Ride S. at Belmont. She previously romped by 11 1/4 lengths with a gaudy 94 Beyer on debut May 6. TJCIS PPs

4th-ELP, $51K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, post time: 3:14 p.m. ET
Winchell homebred GUNTOWN (Gun Runner) looks to become the eighth winner for his red-hot freshman sire. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the bay is a half-brother to these connections' champion Untapable (Tapit) as well as GISW Paddy O'Prado (El Prado {Ire}). Guntown was listed as selling for $750,000 (co-second highest of 46 sold from his sire's first crop) to L & N Racing at last year's Keeneland September sale. TJCIS PPs

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Yaupon Gets First Win of 2021 in Lite The Fuse Stakes

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's multiple graded-stakes winner Yaupon made a triumphant return to historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. Sunday, putting away pacesetting Chateau and turning back Laki – both Grade 3 winners – to snap a two-race losing streak in the $100,000 Lite the Fuse Stakes.

The six-furlong Lite the Fuse for 3-year-olds and up, named for the two-time Grade 1Carter Handicap and Grade 2 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash winner, returned to the Maryland stakes calendar for the first time since being run in 2002 at Laurel Park.

Part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series, the Lite the Fuse was the last of four stakes worth $375,000 in purses on the Independence Day holiday program.

Yaupon ($2.80), sent off at 2-5 in a field reduced to four by the scratches of stakes winners Lebda, Threes Over Deuces, and Valued Notion, hit the wire in 1:09.42 over a fast main track to beat Laki by 1 ¾ lengths. Chateau was another 1 ¾ lengths back in third with Whiskey and You fourth.

Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who teamed up to win the Grade 2 Suburban with Max Player Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., Yaupon won for the first time since his last trip to Maryland, when he equaled the stakes record of 1:09.10 in the Chick Lang (G3) last fall.

Following that race, Yaupon was eighth as the favorite after a troubled trip in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and finished eighth in his lone previous start this year, the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen March 27 at Meydan.

“Both my wife and I were glad to see him run his race and return to form,” Bill Heiligbrodt said. “He got banged around pretty good in the Breeders' Cup and I was a little worried about that, but today he ran like his old self. That was a really nice race, and there was some decent competition in there. We were really happy with that. He's a really nice horse, a beautiful horse.”

March 6 Grade 3 Tom Fool winner Chateau outran Yaupon to the front, leading after a quarter-mile in :22.86 seconds and a half in :45.49. Laki, the 2020 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial winner, tracked in third with Whiskey and You trailing.

Laki moved off the rail on the turn to get after Chateau with Yaupon on his outside, and those two were able to get past the early leader after five furlongs in :57.36 seconds with Yaupon steadily edging away approaching the finish.

“Today he broke really sharp. He came from the layoff and I wanted to give him a little break,” Santana said. “I broke and he put me in a good position. I let him take a second deep breath and at the three-eighths pole when my horse felt the other horse, he took off back.”

The win helped ease the sting of May 15 Chick Lang winner Mighty Mischief having his three-race win streak snapped when second to Alwaysinahurry earlier on the card in the $100,000 Concern for 3-year-old sprinters.

“As long as the horse goes back to Kentucky safe, that's important,” Santana said. “He ran his race, he tried hard, and he was second-best today.”

Asmussen came into Sunday having gone 14-for-24 (41 percent) over the past five years in dirt sprints at both Pimlico and Laurel Park. Many of those races have come with Santana in the irons.

“I owe a lot to Mr. Steve. He put me in the position that I am right now. He's given me a lot of great opportunities and good horses,” Santana said. “Yesterday we had a really amazing win with Max Player and today we win another stake with Yaupon. I really feel blessed to be part of his team.”

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