Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday Undercard: Nashville Sets Track Record, Spill Mars Second Race

The China Horse Club and WinStar Farm showed off a talented young sprinter in the opener on Breeders' Cup Saturday at Keeneland, sending out Nashville for a track record-setting victory in the $125,000 Perryville Stakes. The 3-year-old son of Speightstown ran six furlongs over the fast main track in 1:07.89, annihilating the previous record of 1:08.43 set by A.P. Indian in 2016.

(Note: the run-up for today's Perryville was 55 feet, while the run-up for A.P. Indian's previous track record-setting performance was 34 feet.)

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the 1-9 favorite Nashville grabbed the lead at the start and easily ran away from the field, setting fractions of :21.54, :43.87, and :55.61 without turning a hair. Santana never touched his whip down the lane, cruising under the wire an easy winner by about three lengths over Wild Wes.

Asmussen could have sent the colt to the Breeders' Cup Sprint later on the card, but elected to take an easier route with the inexperienced Nashville.

Bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm, Nashville is out of the unraced Mizzen Mast mare Veronique from the family of multi-millionaires Giacomo and Tiago. Nashville was a $460,000 yearling purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, and has gone undefeated in his first three starts by a total of over 20 lengths. His earnings now stand at $157,200.

The day's second race, the Lafayette Stakes, saw a spill at the top of the stretch mar the action when Absolutely Aiden broke down. Both Dinar and Strike That were also affected and unseated their riders, but galloped out unharmed and were corralled by outriders before being taken back to their respective barns. Trainer Cherie DeVaux Tweeted that Dinar was find other than minor abrasions.

Absolutely Aiden was loaded onto the equine ambulance.

All three jockeys affected by the incident escaped unharmed, and were checked out at first aid and approved to ride their remaining mounts. They are: Tyler Gaffalione (Dinar), Chris Landeros (Absolutely Aiden), and David Cohen (Strike That).

Midnight Sands also appeared to stumble over the stricken horse, and was eased down the stretch by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. He also walked off the track under his own power.

Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Lafayette for trainer Miguel Silva and jockey Joel Rosario.

In the third race, the Fort Springs Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Luis Saez teamed up with Merneith to defeat Motivated Seller by a neck at the finish. The 3-year-old filly is sired by American Pharoah.

Merneith has been a part of Baffert's recent medication controversy: after finishing second in the fourth race on July 25 at Del Mar, the filly returned a positive test for Dextrorphan, a cough suppressant.

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Nashville Dominates in Keeneland’s Perryville

The brilliantly talented Nashville, who had been under consideration for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, kicked off Saturday’s action with a jaw-dropping performance that smashed a track record posted by MGISW A. P. Indian (Indian Charlie) in the 2016 GII Still Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. The bay garnered the ‘TDN Rising Star’ distinction when he cruised home by 11 1/2 lengths in the Saratoga slop first out Sept. 2, and he crushed allowance foes by 9 3/4 lengths over track and trip Oct. 10, good for a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Never drifting from 1-9 odds, the rail-drawn colt went right to the lead as expected, traveled all by his lonesome through supersonic splits of :21.54 and :43.87 and continued along to the wire in a geared-down gallop.

The winner’s 2-year-old half-brother Market Cap (Candy Ride {Arg}), just a $22,000 OBS March grad, scored by seven lengths at third asking in a one-mile, rained-off Laurel maiden special weight Oct. 30. Dam Veronique’s yearling colt by Mastery brought $80,000 at the recent Fasig-Tipton October sale, and dam Veronique sold to Schiano Racing for $22,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale carrying a full-sister to that colt. Back in foal to Collected, Veronique was supplemented to KEENOV and will sell as hip 244D on Monday. Her Mastery filly is catalogued as hip 885. Veronique is out of a full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Giacomo (Holy Bull) and half to MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap). Second dam Styler has done well when paired with Speightstown, having produced GSP ‘Rising Star’ Calistoga and SW Almond Roca by the WinStar stalwart.

PERRYVILLE S., $125,000, Keeneland, 11-7, 3yo, 6f, 1:07.89 (NTR), ft.
1–NASHVILLE, 118, c, 3, by Speightstown
                1st Dam: Veronique, by Mizzen Mast
                2nd Dam: Styler, by Holy Bull
                3rd Dam: Set Them Free, by Stop the Music
   ‘TDN Rising Star‘ ($460,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE
   WIN. O-CHC INC. & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Breffni Farm (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $75,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $157,200.
2–Wild Wes, 118, g, 3, Race Day–Tricia’s Trama, by Article of
Faith. ($10,000 RNA Ylg ’18 FTKJUL; $39,000 2yo ’19 OBSOPN).
O-Dundalk 5 LLC, Wesley F Herek Racing Stables LLC & 21
Racing, LLC; B-Nossab LLC & Jan & Madelein Basson (KY);
T-Dee Poulos. $25,000.
3–Little Menace, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Pay Attention, by
Arch. ($460,000 Ylg ’18 FTSAUG). O-Phoenix Thoroughbred,
LTD; B-Gabriel Duignan, Crosshaven Bldsk, Petaluma Bldsk &
Hazelmere Bldsk (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $12,500.
Margins: 3HF, 3 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.10, 28.20, 30.50.
Also Ran: Bango, Fore Left, Cajun Brother, Relentless Dancer.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Lookin At Lee To Enter Stud At Irish Hill And Dutchess Views Stallions In New York

Lookin At Lee (2014 Lookin At Lucky x Langara Lass), a multiple Grade 1-placed black type winner and popular runner-up in the 2017 Kentucky Derby, has been retired from racing and will stand his first season at stud in 2021 under the management of Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Saratoga Springs, New York.

The precocious Lookin At Lee broke his maiden in his second start at two and went on to earn his first black type win in the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes. He then jumped directly into graded competition, finishing second to Not This Time in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes and to unanimous 2-year-old champion, Classic Empire in the G1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. In his final start as a 2-year old, he was fourth in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Lookin At Lee's impressive 2-year-old season catapulted him onto the Triple Crown trail in 2017. He earned his way into the Kentucky Derby starting gate by placing in two Oaklawn Park preps: The G3 Southwest Stakes and the G1 Arkansas Derby.

In the Kentucky Derby, he would come from far back to rally past all but Always Dreaming to earn second in America's most prestigious race. Lookin At Lee went on to compete in each leg of the Triple Crown (one of only eight horses to do so in the last five years), finishing fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1). He competed against the best of his generation and proved durable, running in eight graded stakes in five months and amassing $1.3 million in career earnings.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said, “Lookin At Lee was a precocious 2-year old with an excellent disposition that brought his connections on a thrilling journey through the Triple Crown races. I'm looking forward to seeing his foals”.

The son of leading national sire Lookin At Lucky will stand his initial season for $6,500 LFSN.

Lookin At Lucky is one of the best sons of Smart Strike, sire of Curlin, and bred on the similar Mr. Prospector/Danzig line as Distorted Humor. Sons of Lookin at Lucky are now taking on the role of stallion including Accelerate and Country House. Lookin At Lee is out of the graded stakes placed and multiple graded stakes producing Langfuhr mare, Langara Lass. He is the half-brother to multiple Grade 3 winner Blended Citizen and half-brother to Grade 1 placed, Battlefield Angel, dam of 2020 Breeders' Cup Sprint participant Manny Wah.

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Lookin At Lee to Stand in New York

Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky–Langara Lass, by Langfuhr), a two-time stakes winner and runner-up in the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby, has been retired from racing and will stand his first season at stud in 2021 under the management of Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Saratoga, New York.

Lookin At Lee will stand his initial season for $6,500 LFSN.

The $70,000 KEESEP yearling graduate, owned by L and N Racing LLC and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, posted a record of 35-4-6-4 and career earnings of $1,343,188. His resume also includes a runner-up finish in the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and a third-place finish in the GI Arkansas Derby. He was bred in Kentucky by Ray Hanson.

“Lookin At Lee was a precocious 2-year old with an excellent disposition that brought his connections on a thrilling journey through the Triple Crown races,” Asmussen said. “I’m looking forward to seeing his foals.”

Lookin At Lee, bred on the similar Mr. Prospector/Danzig line as Distorted Humor, is out of the graded stakes-placed Langfuhr mare Langara Lass. He is a half-brother to MGSW Blended Citizen (Proud Citizen) and GISP Battlefield Angel (Proud Citizen), dam of 2020 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint entrant Manny Wah (Will Take Charge).

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