Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Silver State Rolls To Fifth Consecutive Win In $1-Million Oaklawn Handicap

With six horses spread across the track at the eighth pole and a million dollars up for grabs, Saturday's Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap looked to be almost anyone's race. But Silver State was going the best of all and drew off for a half-length victory under Ricardo Santana Jr., winning for the fifth consecutive time for trainer Steve Asmussen but making it a graded stakes first for the Hard Spun 4-year-old owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing.

Sent away at 9-2 odds, Silver State covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.56 on a track upgraded to fast after being listed as good much of the day. He paid $11.40 for the win, his sixth in 10 career starts.

Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, coming off a G2 victory in the Gulfstream Park Mile, finished second, with 9-5 favorite Express Train, who shipped in from Southern California for trainer John Shirreffs, a length back in third in the field of eight older horses. Pacesetter Warrior's Charge was fourth.

“We've always loved his talent level,” Asmussen said of Silver State. “The five-race win streak and putting it all together against such a talented field today, significant race, extremely pleased with him. The horse has been training really well. He's figured out winning. I think what we saw in the two races here previously, he chose to win. They were very competitive. Watching the races, just like today, I think that's made all the difference in him.”

Silver State was coming off a neck win in the $500,000 Essex Handicap and prior to that won the Fifth Season Stakes by a nose – both this year at Oaklawn. He began his streak with a seven-length allowance win last October at Keeneland, then added a November allowance/optional claiming race at Churchill Downs.

In the Oaklawn Handicap, Silver State carried 118 pounds, four fewer than highweighted Express Train.

Breaking from the rail, Silver State saved ground most of the trip racing in mid-pack as Warrior's Charge set fractions of :22.73, :47.06 and 1:11.67.

Santana tipped Silver State five wide into the stretch, and after passing the mile marker in 1:37.23, there were six runners within about a length of each other. Silver State emerged from the pack and went on to victory.

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Steve Asmussen Talks ‘Family Horse’ Super Stock On Writers’ Room

One of the few major races left to win for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is the most significant prize in racing, so a win in this year's GI Kentucky Derby would satisfy an ultimate career goal. But if he were to do it with Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby victor Super Stock (Dialed In), a horse with the Asmussen family's fingerprints all over him, it would represent the sentimental success of a lifetime. Wednesday, Asmussen joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to discuss Super Stock, the permanent chip on his shoulder, who he would pick between some of his legendary trainees head to head and more.

Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Asmussen talked about his emotional connection to Super Stock, who is co-owned by his father and was ridden to victory by his oldest son for his first stakes win last summer.

“We've been very fortunate in racing, had many successes, but a circumstance in which you can leg your son up on a stakes winner for your parents is quite unique, to say the least, and is a very special experience,” he said. “I have so many emotions about it. You imagine having that kind of success going into a race, but I did not realize what it actually meant, and the outpouring of love, respect and support since the [Arkansas Derby] for my parents and who they are has been the best part for me. This is my mom and dad's story. They supported us unwaveringly and put me and Cash in the positions we've been in to have success in this business. They're both 79 years old and unique circumstances allowed them to keep this horse. Dad has had Grade I winners in the past, he's just sold them all. That probably would have happened with this horse as well if not for the pandemic. It's brought mom and dad to the forefront and gotten them the respect and admiration that I know they deserve.”

Asked how it would change his life to win a Derby after coming up empty with his first 21 starters, Asmussen said, “I don't know yet, but I'd hate to lose this chip on my shoulder, lose the edge. The next horse that you run is the most important horse. Our motto around here is, 'Everything matters or nothing matters.' So don't lose that chip. We've got to keep it in front of us. We get tremendous opportunities and we respect them and want to make the most of them. Whenever Super Stock won, it was meant to be, so that's what we're looking for going into the Derby. It'll happen, if it's meant to be.”

Elsewhere on the show, the writers reacted to the weekend's big races and handicapped all five participants' chances to win the Writers' Room Derby Chase fantasy 3-year-old contest. In the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, they lamented yet another slap-on-the-wrist fine for a trainer with a drug positive and lauded Indiana Grand's decision to broadcast video explanations for all of its steward decisions. And, in welcoming new sponsor the Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Project, they talked about TDN's most-read story of the week, which featured trainer Joe Orseno railing against the Lasix ban in stakes races. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

The post Steve Asmussen Talks ‘Family Horse’ Super Stock On Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Ricardo Santana Voted Jockey Of The Week After Arkansas Derby Victory

Ricardo Santana, Jr. not only won the G1 Arkansas Derby but set three milestones at Oaklawn Park, earning Jockey of the Week honors for April 5 through April 11. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Riding for his main client, trainer Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, Jr. was aboard Super Stock in the G1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Parkon April 10. Off at odds of 12-1 in the field of six, Santana, Jr. and Super Stock took advantage of a speed duel set by favorite Concert Tour and Caddo River to win by 2-1/2 lengths in the 1-1/8th mile race in 1:50.92 to earn 100 points and a spot in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 1.

“We got a beautiful trip. I was talking to Mr. Steve (Asmussen) for about two weeks before the race,” said Santana, Jr. “The post was perfect. We both liked breaking from #1. We knew there was some speed and everything came out perfect. It was a really important win for Steve and his family. I'm really blessed to be the one they chose to ride this race.”

Santana, Jr., a seven-time Oaklawn riding champion, reached three more milestones Saturday. He became the ninth rider in Oaklawn history to reach 600 career victories after winning the tenth race aboard Mighty Mischief for Asmussen and recorded 601 with his victory in the G1 Arkansas Derby.

He broke his single-season Oaklawn record for purse earnings with $4,404,778 after the Arkansas Derby victory. He set the previous record in 2019. While he became the first rider in Oaklawn history to reach $30 million in career purse earnings on April 3, he surpassed that record with Super Stock's victory.

Santana, Jr.'s stats for the week were 36-8-3-5 with a 22.2 win percentage and 44.4 in-the-money percentage. Total purse earnings for the week were $1,071,963 to lead all jockeys. He currently sits at the top of Oaklawn's jockey standings with 57 victories, 18 more than David Cabrera.

Santana, Jr. out-polled Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr. with an in-the-money percentage of 76.4, Tyler Gaffalione who won the G1 Jenny Wiley, Florent Geroux who captured the G3 Count Fleet, and Jose L. Ortiz who won a stakes race at Aqueduct and recorded five winners on a single card.

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‘Money Mike’ Smith Picks Up Kentucky Derby Mount On Midnight Bourbon

As reported by the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee on Twitter Tuesday, two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mike Smith has picked up a mount for the race's 2021 edition. He'll partner the Steve Asmussen-trained Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), winner of the G3 Lecomte Stakes in January, and subsequently third and second in the G2 Risen Star and G2 Louisiana Derby, respectively.

Midnight Bourbon races for Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC.

Smith's two Derby wins came in 2005 with longshot Giacomo and in 2018 with the favorite and eventual Triple Crown winner, Justify.

Originally, the Hall of Fame rider was booked on early roses favorite Life is Good for trainer Bob Baffert, but that colt was injured, underwent surgery for an ankle chip, and is expected to miss the 2021 Triple Crown races.

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