Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sunday’s Insights: Hidden Scroll Gets Fresh Start for Brad Cox

8th-Gulfstream Park, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, post time: 3:42 p.m. ET
RICHEBOURG (Curlin), an $800,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Alpha Delta Stable, kicks off her career for Chad Brown. Produced by a half-sister to MGISW Evening Jewel (Northern Afleet), she is a half-sister to GI Triple Bend S. winner Denman's Call (Northern Afleet). Scarlett Lace (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to ill-fated champion sprinter Points Offthebench (Benchmark), debuts for Brian Lynch. She RNA'd for $500,000 at Keeneland September. TJCIS PPs

7th-Oaklawn Park, $85K, Alw, N3L, 4yo/up, 6f, post time: 5:09 p.m. ET
'TDN Rising Star' HIDDEN SCROLL (Hard Spun) makes his highly anticipated return to the races for new connections after bringing $525,000 from Marc Detampel as a horse of racing age at last year's Keeneland November Sale. Formerly campaigned by his breeder Juddmonte Farms and trainer Bill Mott, the bay's form is highlighted by a pair of blowout, double-digit length victories and triple-digit Beyers, but little went right in his four most recent trips to the post, including a trio of turf tries in New York, finishing fifth last time at Saratoga Aug. 1. The 2019 GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. fourth-place finisher fired a four-furlong warning shot for Brad Cox in :47 2/5 (1/125) at Oaklawn Jan. 17. TJCIS PPs

8th-Oaklawn Park, $84K, Alw, N1X, 3yo, f, 6f, post time: 5:40 p.m. ET
ABROGATE (Outwork), a runaway front-running debut winner for Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs Nov. 12, takes on winners for the first time. The runner-up that day Zoom Up (Upstart) has since won two straight, including a Fair Grounds optional claimer in her two-turn debut earlier this week. The Alex and JoAnn Lieblong colorbearer, favored at 8-5 on the morning line, gets first-time Lasix. She was the co-fourth most expensive yearling of 66 from Outwork's first crop to change hands, bringing $270,000 at Keeneland September. TJCIS PPs

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GSP Aurelius Maximus to Stud in Louisiana

GSP Aurelius Maximus (Pioneerof the Nile–La Reina, by A.P. Indy) has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2021 at Jay Adcock's Red River Farm in Coushatta, Louisiana. The deal was brokered by Andrew Cary of Cary Bloodstock. The 5-year-old, who will stand in a partnership between Nathan Granger and Stonestreet Stables/George Bolton/Peter Leidel, will stand for $2,000 live foal, with consideration to approved mares.

“Aurelius Maximus is the most exciting horse to retire to Louisiana for many years,” said Cary. “His combination of impeccable pedigree, gorgeous conformation and top-class ability on the racetrack make him a very tantalizing prospect for breeders in the southwest.”

Granger added, “We're very excited to get a horse of such talent and grit–not to mention his great looks. We're just as excited to partner with one of the premier ownership groups in the industry in Stonestreet Stables, Mr. Bolton and Mr. Leidel.”

Aurelius Maximus broke his maiden at Belmont Park by 7 3/4 lengths second time out before finishing fourth in the 2018 GI Champagne S. Sidelined afterwards, he kicked off 2020 with two professional allowance victories at Fair Grounds and Churchill Downs before finishing a neck to Mr Freeze (To Honor and Serve) in the GII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland last October.

Aurelius Maximus was conditioned for his final four races by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

“Aurelius Maximus was an amazing physical,” he said. “He was super athletic and had tremendous heart. If his foals look like him, he'll make an outstanding sire.”

Stonestreet Stables bloodstock advisor John Moynihan, who purchased Aurelius Maximus privately as a 2-year-old, added, “Aurelius Maximus is among the most talented horses we've ever had at Stonestreet. He had legitimate Grade I ability, a ton of natural speed, and has an awesome physical to go with it.”

Aurelius Maximus is one of seven winners produced by the Grade III-winning La Reina, who also produced Grade II winner Chief Havoc (Giant's Causeway) and Grade III-placed Special Event (Arch). La Reina is a half-sister to Grade I winner and sire Brahms (Danzig) and to SW Olympic (Danzig). This represents the female family of Grade I winners Queena, Too Chic, Chic Shirine, Somali Lemonade, Verrazano, etc.

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Refreshed Grade 1 Winner Wicked Whisper Kicking Off 2021 Campaign In Oaklawn’s Pippin Stakes

Wicked Whisper was poised for a championship in the fall of 2019. Now, it's a career reboot and step one in 2021 is the $150,000 Pippin Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 mile Saturday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the Pippin, the eighth of nine races, is 4:47 p.m. (Central). First post for the second of 57 scheduled race days is 1 p.m. (Central).

Wicked Whisper is the slight 3-1 program favorite for the Pippin, which drew a field of 12 and is Oaklawn's first of three preps for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17. The series continues with the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 and the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 13.

Wicked Whisper was among the country's top 2-year-old fillies of 2019 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway, Ark. She was a front-running 6 ¼-length winner of her career debut at Saratoga and a front-running 2 ¾-length winner of her next start, the $400,000 Frizette Stakes (G1), at Belmont Park. Wicked Whisper's unbeaten record and hopes for an Eclipse Award crashed with a fifth-place finish in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita, a 1 1/16-mile race that marked her two-turn debut.

Sandwiched around minor injury (splint bone) and minor illness, Wicked Wisper captured 1 of 4 starts last year and was withdrawn from Fasig-Tipton's November Sale (Nov. 8) – she was entered as a racing or broodmare prospect – to get another shot for the same racing team in 2021.

“Not really,” Alex Lieblong said, when asked if he seriously considered retiring Wicked Whisper. “He (Asmussen) knew to raise his hand at any point where he thought we should and he didn't. She had a real busy period there for a while, so we thought, 'OK, let's back off her for a while and see what can shape up at Oaklawn.' We did have her in the November Sale, just in case something did show up physically with her during that time. Nothing ever showed up physically, so that gave us a little bit of time for, hopefully, Steve to work his magic and stretch her out.”

Wicked Whisper's final two starts last year were at 6 furlongs. She won the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) Oct. 3 at Pimlico and finished an even fifth in the $125,000 Fort Springs Stakes Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Wicked Whisper had been scheduled to make her 3-year-old debut in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) last March at Oaklawn, but spiked a fever approximately a week before the race, Lieblong said, and her first start didn't come until early July.

“You just couldn't make it up,” said Lieblong, chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission. “But one thing I've learned in this business is it's got several ways to bite you.”

Wicked Whisper has had five published workouts at Oaklawn since Dec. 20 in advance of her 4-year-old debut. From the first crop of Grade 1 winner Liam's Map, Wicked Whisper was purchased for $500,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Wicked Whisper is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Point of Honor, who finished third in the $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares last year at Oaklawn. The Lieblongs were Oaklawn's third-leading owners in 2020.

The 7-2 second choice in the program is Istan Council, who is seeking her first career stakes victory. Istan Council was a 2019 allowance winner at Oaklawn, finished third in the $100,000 Groupie Doll Stakes Aug. 9 at Ellis Park and endured a brutal trip finishing second, beaten a head, in the $75,000 She's All In Stakes at a mile and 70 yards Dec. 18 at Remington Park. Daily Racing Form short comments from Istan Council's past performance running line for the She's All In said the 5-year-old mare lacked room until late, “best.”

“I thought it was one of the very few times you see in the Racing Form where the horse that ran second was much the best,” Jones said.

Other contenders include the Brad Cox-trained duo of Vault and Getridofwhatailesu and Our Super Freak. All are 6-1 in the program. Vault ran sixth in the $263,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) July 18 at Monmouth Park in her last start. Getridofwhatailesu, unraced since last March, has never run in a stakes race, but has won two of her last three starts. Our Super Freak ran second in last year's Molly Pitcher for trainer Cherie DeVaux, a former assistant to four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. DeVaux has never started a horse at Oaklawn.

The projected Pippin field from the rail out: Vault, Florent Geroux to ride, 115 pounds, 6-1; Figure It Out, Francisco Arrieta, 119, 12-1; Getridofwhatailesu, Joe Rocco Jr., 119, 6-1; Sara Sea, Fernando De La Cruz, 115, 30-1; Chance to Shine, Ken Tohill, 115, 10-1; Istan Council, Joe Talamo, 115, 7-2; Wicked Whisper, Ricardo Santana Jr., 122, 3-1; Blessed Again, Terry Thompson, 119, 30-1; Regal Beauty, Martin Garcia, 115, 8-1; His Glory, David Cabrera, 117, 12-1; Graysonsmacho Gal, Ramon Vazquez, 115, 15-1; and Our Super Freak, David Cohen, 115, 6-1.

Jones won last year's Pippin with the recently retired Whoa Nellie.

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Defending Lady Apple Tops Nominees To Houston Ladies Classic

Nominations have closed for the Houston Racing Festival at Sam Houston Race Park. The annual event, featuring six stakes and purses in excess of $1 million will be contested on Sunday, Jan. 31 with a special afternoon post time of 1:45 pm (CT).

The Houston Racing Festival includes two graded stakes, the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic and the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf.

The Houston Ladies Classic, to be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, closed with 22 nominations including 2020 champion Lady Apple. The 5-year-old daughter of Curlin out of the Clever Trick mare Miss Mary Apples is owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred III and KatieRich Farms.

Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, the Kentucky-bred mare has won six of her 18 starts with earnings of $1,045,984. One year ago, she closed gamely under jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., defeating a contentious field which included 2019 Kentucky Oaks champion Serengeti Empress, Mylady Curlin and Street Band. The victory was the second Houston Ladies Classic score for Asmussen, who is nominated for Eclipse Award winning trainer honors. In 2019, he saddled Midnight Bisou, who went on to national prominence winning five Grade 1 stakes, banking $7.4 million and honored as 2019 Eclipse Award winning Older Female.

Jeweled Princess is on target to ship to Houston and represent owners Walking L Thoroughbreds of The Woodlands, Texas. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the 4-year-filly Cairo Prince, out of the Scat Daddy mare Jersey Jules, earned her fourth career win on Dec. 18 at Remington Park when she captured the $75,000 She's All In Stakes. McPeek won the 2004 Great State Challenge Distaff at Sam Houston Race Park with Take Charge Lady as well as two editions of the Maxxam Gold Cup.

Trainer Michael Maker has nominated Ujayji, a 5-year-old mare by Smarty Jones, who would make her Texas debut for her breeder and owner T. L. Wise. The Pennsylvania-bred mare exits a third-place finish in the $100,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct on Jan. 17.

Additional nominees include two fillies trained by Tom Amoss who are currently stabled at Fair Grounds. Hoffman Racing Family, LLC and Steve Landry's Beautiful Trauma, a 4-year-old daughter of Tapiture exits a runner-up finish in the $75,000 Spanky Broussard on December 26. Figure It Out, owned by Joe Politi was an eight length winner in New Orleans on Jan. 1. Trainer Scott Gelner is pointing Norman Racing Stables, LLC's Shes Our Fastest to the stakes. The Texas-bred daughter of Oratory won the 2019 Texas Rose Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park and has earned $344,537 in her 29 lifetime starts.

Inaugurated in 2013, the Houston Ladies Classic was awarded its graded status by the American Graded Stakes Committee in 2016.

Nominations were also strong for the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, at the distance of 1 1/2 miles with 43 nominations received by the Sam Houston Race Park racing office. Mike Maker, who has won the Connally a record seven times, has nominated 11 turf specialists. Three Diamonds Farm's Marzo, ran third in last year's edition of the race before running in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga. Sired by Medaglia D' Oro, Marzo has won four races and $310,000 to date.

Ajourneytofreedom closed to complete the superfecta in the $100,000 Gio Ponti at Aqueduct last November for her owners Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher. Maker's third likely starter is Conviction Trade, who was claimed by Staudacher and tested his distance prowess last month in the H. Allen Jerkens, a two-mile turf stakes at Gulfstream Park. The Kentucky-bred son of Exchange Rate closed for second.

Signalman, a 5-year-old son of General Quarters who has earned over $671,000 in his 17 starts, has been nominated by McPeek. He competed in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The John B. Connally Turf was awarded Grade 3 status in 2006 and boasts a solid roster of past winners including Chorwon, Fort Prado, Rod and Staff as well as three-time champions, Candid Glen and Bigger Picture.

The draw for the Houston Racing Festival will take place on Sunday, Jan. 24. The remaining stakes include the $200,000 Texas Turf Mile for three-year-olds, which was added last year and drew a highly competitive field of ten; the $100,000 Pulse Power Turf Sprint, the $75,000 Jersey Lilly Turf Stakes and $75,000 Stonerside Sprint.

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