Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Max Player Works ‘Really Well,’ Covers Swift Five Furlongs In Company At Churchill Downs

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbred's $1 million Travers Stakes (Grade I) third-place finisher Max Player recorded a swift five-furlong move in :59.60 Monday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Max Player, who was recently transferred to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen from New York-based conditioner Linda Rice, worked at 7:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) during the exclusive 15-minute training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders. Max Player, who breezed with jockey Florent Geroux up, began his work two lengths behind stablemate Allege and worked through fractions of :23.80 and :35.80. Max Player finished even with his workmate at the wire and continued to gallop out in front through six furlongs in 1:12.60.

“He worked really well behind his workmate,” said Geroux, who was filling in Monday for Max Player's Derby rider Ricardo Santana Jr. “I think he will like the 1 ¼-mile distance in the Derby. I was working the horse this morning because Ricardo is still at Saratoga. Steve has given me many great opportunities in my career so I always try to help when he needs me. I will be on (trainer) Bob Baffert's horse Thousand Words in the Derby.”

Also training during the special training window was Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo, who galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Edgar Medina for trainer Juan Avila. The son of Uncle Mo is scheduled to have his final move before the Kentucky Derby on Saturday morning.

Raymond Daniels and Wayne Scherr's former $100,000 claim Necker Island returned to the track following his walk day on Sunday with an easy jog under exercise rider Hillary Hartman. Necker Island, trained by Chris Hartman, is tentatively scheduled to work on Saturday with jockey Miguel Mena aboard.

Prior to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks training window, Lloyd Madison Farm's Major Fed galloped 1 ½ miles at 5:15 a.m. under exercise rider Margarito Fierro. Trained by Greg Foley, the $300,000 Indiana Derby (GIII) runner-up is scheduled to have his final work on Friday or Saturday. Approximately 45 minutes following Major Fed's gallop, West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing's $600,000 Arkansas Derby (GI) third-place finisher Winning Impression had a light 1 ½-mile gallop with trainer Dallas Stewart's exercise rider Emerson Chavez in the saddle.

Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's $200,000 Ellis Park Derby runner-up Attachment Rate had a scheduled walk day following his half-mile move in :48.60 Sunday morning.

On the Longines Kentucky Oaks front, Mark and Nancy Stanley's graded stakes placed Tempers Rising galloped 1 ½ miles at 6:30 a.m. under Chavez. Also making an appearance Monday morning at Churchill Downs was Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited and Big Aut Farms' $200,000 Indiana Oaks (GIII) winner Shedaresthedevil, who jogged with exercise rider Edvin Vargas up for trainer Brad Cox. Her stablemate, Juddmonte Farms' $600,000 Alabama Stakes (GI) runner-up Bonny South, galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Gustavo Abrego.

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‘True Blessing’: Three Generations Of Asmussen Family Celebrate Texas Thoroughbred Futurity Victory

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.

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Travers Third Max Player Moved To Hall Of Famer Asmussen’s Barn

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player, third in both the Travers and the Belmont Stakes, has been transferred to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, according to the Daily Racing Form.

The 3-year-old son of Honor Code had been trained by Linda Rice, who saddled the colt to a record of two wins, a second, a two thirds from five starts for earnings of $373,500. Max Player won the G3 Withers Stakes to kick off his sophomore season, then finished third behind Tiz the Law in both the G1 Belmont and the G1 Travers to earn a total of 60 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Now, Max Player will be vanned from Rice's Belmont base to Asmussen's barn at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

“I definitely wanted someone with experience and infrastructure at Churchill,” Hall told drf.com. “I wanted someone who could take the horse to Churchill right away and to spend some time with the horse prior to the race and give him his best shot at having a good race at that track.”

Math Wizard, Runnin’toluvya Top Nominees For Aug. 28 Charles Town Classic

Led by 2019 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Math Wizard, defending race champ Runnin'toluvya and 2019 Frizette (G1) heroine Wicked Whisper, a total of 141 nominations were received for the $600,000 Charles Town Classic (G2) and $200,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3) which closed this past Friday. When the two races are run together on Friday, August 28, it will mark the first time Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will hold both of its graded stakes on the same day. The 12th running of the Charles Town Classic, postponed from its original April 18 date following the track's closure due to the COVID pandemic, and the Charles Town Oaks, moved up from its September 19 spot on the calendar are only two of seven total stakes races on the card totaling $1,250,000 in purse money.

Steve Asmussen, who trained Four Gifts to a win in the inaugural running of the Charles Town Oaks in 2009, led the way with 15 nominations for the two races, with the Charles Town Classic brigade headlined by 2019 Pimlico Special (G3) victor and 2018 Preaknesss (G1) runner-up Tenfold who scratched out of Sunday's Alydar Stakes at Saratoga.

Trainer Brad Cox looks to send out his first runner in the Charles Town Classic and has a trio of older horses to choose from in Night Ops, a winner of the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) in his last start, multiple graded stakes winner Owendale and Warrior's Charge, most recently a good fourth behind Vekoma, Network Effect and Code of Honor in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park.

Much like Cox, Bret Calhoun would be saddling his first Charles Town Classic starter and appears possible to do so with Mr. Money, a winner of four straight graded stakes events as a three-year-old, including the West Virginia Derby (G3), before seeing that winning streak snapped by a close-up second place effort in the Pennsylvania Derby. Calhoun also has the multiple graded stakes winning six-year-old Silver Dust nominated to the Classic.

Others nominated to the Charles Town Classic include 2019 race runner-up Diamond King, 2019 Woodward (G1) runner-up Bal Harbour, Monmouth Cup (G3) winner Global Campaign, Santa Anita Handicap (G1) second place finisher and expected starter Multiplier, Challenger (G3) victor Trophy Chaser and War Story, a winner of more than $3.2 million over his career that includes three previous efforts in the Charles Town Classic.

While Math Wizard stands as his lone Charles Town Classic nomination, trainer Saffie Joseph was well represented amongst Charles Town Oaks nominees with four sophomore fillies, including the multiple graded stakes winner Tonalist's Shape and Loriloupies, an impressive winner in consecutive starts earlier this year at Gulfstream.

Others nominated and possible for the Charles Town Oaks include Boerne, winner of the Azalea in her last start at Gulfstream, Hopeful Growth, most recently victorious in the Monmouth Oaks (G3) and Project Whiskey, who scored in the Delaware Oaks (G3) at odds of nearly 40-to-1.

Entries for the August 28 Charles Town Classic card will be taken on Tuesday, August 25.

Nominations for three more unrestricted stakes all run at seven furlongs – the $150,000 Dance to Bristol for older fillies and mares, the $100,000 Russell Road and the $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial for three-year-olds – close this upcoming Friday, August 14.

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