Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Violence’s Volatile Takes Care of Business in Vanderbilt

Sent off the prohibitive 2-5 chalk while making his first appearance in Grade I company, Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ Volatile (Violence) fell out onto the lead, enjoyed a soft time of things on the engine and turned it on late to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga.

The Vanderbilt was reduced to a field of four by the gate scratching of Lexitonian (Speightstown), who was unlikely to have a say in the finish, but who may have set or otherwise impacted the pace. The start of the race was further delayed by Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), who broke through the gate, but was pulled up after galloping about a furlong and was passed fit to run. The quartet broke as one, but with none of the horses showing particularly keen early interest, Ricardo Santana, Jr. took the bull by the horns and led the field through an opening quarter in :23.46, a nearly unheard-of split for this level of competition.

Chased around the turn by dual Saratoga Grade I winner Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) and GISW Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior) farther out, Volatile turned for home after a half in :46.67 and dared them to match strides with him late. But as he had done in previous victories in Oaklawn allowance company Apr. 24 and in the Listed Aristides S. at Churchill June 6, he delivered a quick turn of foot and covered the final two furlongs in a career-best :22.94 to defeat a very game Whitmore. Mind Control held for third over Firenze Fire, the four horses covered by two lengths at the wire.

“For a Grade I sprint race to be allowed that first quarter [:23.46 seconds] was very fortunate,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, winning the Vanderbilt for the third time (Majesticperfection, 2009; Justin Phillip, 2013). “I think the anxious moments were all pre-race with the incident at the gate. Once he was away from the gate smoothly and they threw up the first quarter, he would be awfully hard to beat from there.”

Added Phoenix Thoroughbreds’s Amer Abdulaziz: “We’ll need to see how he comes out of this, but the future looks exciting. Today’s win was an important one for his value as a stallion, but he also proved he is one of the best sprinters in the country. We’d love to give him a chance to prove that. This is our first Grade I winner with Steve and we are delighted for him and his team. Also massive congratulations to our very good friends and partners Three Chimneys.”

Volatile, his sire’s most expensive horse sold at public auction when hammering for $850,000 at Keeneland September in 2017, was a debut winner at Ellis Park last August and was second in Churchill allowance company the following month before closing the season with a victory in Louisville Nov. 3. He posted stalk-and-pounce successes in his two aforementioned appearances this season while running up the score to the tune of 15 1/2 lengths combined.

Pedigree Notes:

Volatile is the second Grade I-winning sprinter for his sire in the last five weeks, joining ‘TDN Rising Star’ No Parole, who earned his wings in the Woody Stephens S. in similar front-running fashion.

Volatile, also the 24th top-level winner produced by a daughter of the late Unbridled’s Song, is out of a stakes-winning daughter of Lady Tak, who was conditioned by Steve Asmussen to wins in this track’s GI Test S. and GI Ballerina S. Lady Tak is also the dam of Japanese SW & GSP A Shin Spartan (Zensational) as well as the very promising 3-year-old filly Casual (Curlin).

Melody Lady is the dam of the 3-year-old colt Soccer Dad (Bayern), a $260,000 KEESEP yearling who was second in a Del Mar maiden turf sprint in his lone trip to the races. Her 2-year-old of this year is the Bayern colt Grendel and she produced a filly by Army Mule this season.

Saturday, Saratoga
ALFRED G. VANDERBILT H.-GI, $232,500, Saratoga, 7-25, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.61, ft.
1–VOLATILE, 121, c, 4, by Violence
                1st Dam: Melody Lady (SW), by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Lady Tak, by Mutakddim
                3rd Dam: Star of My Eye, by Lucky North
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($850,000 Ylg
’17 KEESEP). O-Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix
Thoroughbred III; B-Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Inc & Stretch
Run Ventures, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo
Santana, Jr. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 6-5-1-0, $341,040.
*Full to Buy Sell Hold, SW & GSP, $125,520. Werk Nick Rating:
   A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Whitmore, 123, g, 7, Pleasantly Perfect–Melody’s Spirit, by
Scat Daddy. O-LaPenta, Robert V., Moquett, Ron and Head of
Plains Partners LLC; B-John Liviakis (KY); T-Ron Moquett.
$50,000.
3–Mind Control, 123, c, 4, Stay Thirsty–Feel That Fire, by
Lightnin N Thunder. O-Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) & Madaket
Stables, LLC; B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Gregory Sacco. $30,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NK. Odds: 0.40, 4.30, 6.00.
Also Ran: Firenze Fire. Scratched: Lexitonian. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree

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Ready to Make New Memories at the Spa

John C. Oxley homebred Beautiful Memories (Hard Spun) headlines a field of eight juvenile fillies set for Thursday’s co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. at the Spa.

Trained by Mark Casse, the chestnut aired by 10 lengths for ‘TDN Rising Star’ honors on debut at Churchill Downs May 28. She’s registered a pair of bullet workouts in Louisville since, including a five-furlong spin in :59 1/5 (1/34) July 4.

Beautiful Memories’ third dam is champion older mare Beautiful Pleasure, who carried Oxley’s gold-and-blue silks to six top-level victories, led by a win in the 1999 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“We broke her and had her down at the training center all winter and she seemed special,” Casse said. “I told Mr. Oxley when I breezed her that she gave me chills and that doesn’t happen often.”

Casse continued, “You always want to see more than just one time. She’s come back and trained well and her last two works have been really good. We’re hoping for a similar performance, but we’ll let her do the talking.”

Hopeful Princess (Not This Time) makes her first start for Stonestreet Stables and Steve Asmussen. She became the first winner for her in-demand freshman sire graduating on debut for Jackie Huckaby, Imaginary Stables and Donna G. Hancock and trainer John A. Hancock with a hard-fought victory beneath the Twin Spires May 21.

Like Beautiful Memories, Hopeful Princess earned a field-best 75 Beyer Speed Figure on debut.

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Casse Sends Out Pair Of Fillies For Spa’s Opening-Day Schuylerville

Stakes action at historic Saratoga Race Course kicks off with a field of eight 2-year-old fillies assembled for the 102nd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville on Thursday, Opening Day of the summer meet.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will send out John C. Oxley's impressive maiden winner Beautiful Memories, who romped by 10 lengths in her career debut on May 28 at Churchill Downs.

The homebred chestnut daughter of Hard Spun received encouragement coming out of the gate in her debut before taking command and extending her lead through every point of call, crossing the wire on cruise control under jockey Jose Ortiz in a final time of 58.05 seconds for the five-furlong sprint.

Casse said Beautiful Memories demonstrated potential from the start.

“We broke her and had her down at the training center all winter and she seemed special,” said Casse. “I told Mr. Oxley when I breezed her that she gave me chills and that doesn't happen often.”

Beautiful Memories, a Kentucky homebred, is out of the Sky Mesa broodmare Sky Dreamer who is a half-sister to turf Grade 1-winner Dream Dancing as well as graded stakes-placed Dream Maker.

Beautiful Memories has been training forwardly for Casse, working two bullets at Churchill Downs heading into Thursday, most recently registering a five-furlong drill in 59.20 on July 4.

Casse said he is hoping for another impressive performance from Beautiful Memories on Opening Day at Saratoga.

“You always want to see more than just one time,” said Casse. “She's come back and trained well and her last two works have been really good. It was not a shock to see her run the way she did first out. We're hoping for a similar performance, but we'll let her do the talking.”

Ortiz, who piloted Catherinethegreat to a 2018 Schuylerville victory for Oxley and Casse, will retain the mount aboard Beautiful Memories from post 3.

Casse also sends out Gary Barber's New York-bred Make Mischief, who won her debut as the favorite in a five-furlong maiden special weight against her Empire State-bred counterparts on June 18 at Belmont.

The bay daughter of Into Mischief tracked two lengths off the pace in her five-furlong career debut and was a bit green in the stretch but had enough to score a half-length triumph.

Bred by Avanti Stable, Make Mischief is out of the Speightstown broodmare Speightful Lady and was purchased for $285,000 from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale last August.

Casse said he is looking for Make Mischief to step her game up a notch on Thursday.

“She's a horse we were high on this winter,” Casse said. “I thought her win was good, but I think she's better than what she showed, at least I'm hoping so. She'll have to come with a better performance.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will attempt a sixth Schuylerville triumph when piloting Make Mischief from the inside post.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle Hopeful Princess, who arrives off a three-quarter length maiden score at Churchill Downs. Owned by Stonestreet Farm, the dark bay filly gave highly regarded freshman stallion Not This Time his first winner when stalking the pace from second, battling down the stretch with a foe and eventually coming out on top while galloping out with authority on May 21 at Churchill, earning a 75 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bred in Kentucky by Elm Tree Farm, Hopeful Princess is out of the More Than Ready broodmare More Than Magic.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will pilot Hopeful Princess from post 8.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Sunny Isle Beach, who will exit post 5 under Irad Ortiz, Jr., will take a big step up in class for trainer Wesley Ward after displaying a victorious late kick on debut for a $75,000 tag on June 6 at Churchill.

The bay daughter of Jimmy Creed broke from the outside, where she laid mid pack early on, was caught seven wide at the top of the stretch but shifted to the inside of rivals down the lead to score a narrow victory.

“When you have a 2-year-old maiden winner you're halfway mandated to try stakes company so that's what we're doing here,” Ward said. “If you hit the board in a graded stakes race that's enshrined in their pedigree forever. We should be able to come from behind, so we'll sit back and ask Irad to be a cool-sitter and a go-getter, which is what he is. If there's a strong pace up front, then here we come.”

Bred in Kentucky by her owners and Dixiana Farm, Sunny Isle Beach is out of the Kitten's Joy broodmare Kathern's Kitten.

Completing the field are Hara [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione], Quinoa Tifah [post 4, Manny Franco], Queen Arella [post 6, Joel Rosario] and Dayoutoftheoffice [post 7, Junior Alvarado].

The Schuylerville is slated as Race 8 on Thursday's 10-race card, which offers a first post of 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Heider’s Pricey Spur-Of-The-Moment Buy Eyes Opening Day Schuylerville At Saratoga

When owner Scott Heider of Heider Family Stables attended the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale in upstate New York last August, he was strictly there to sell a Curlin colt, but a certain Tapit filly at the Gainesway consignment barn was just too enticing to pass up.

That filly, Thoughtfully, is a top contender for the Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville on July 16, Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course.

She showcased a strong display of talent in career debut on June 11 at Churchill Downs winning by 8 ¾ lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. In the 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight over the main track, Thoughtfully broke sharply under Ricardo Santana, Jr. but allowed two runners to her inside to dictate the early pace. By the quarter pole, Thoughtfully was in command and all it took was a few shakes of the reins by Santana for her to draw off in style.

The promising dark bay filly was hammered down for $950,000 at the yearling sale and could prove to be well worth the investment.

“I was up there selling a Curlin colt out of [Grade 1 winner] Taris and that's all I was there for. I had no intention of buying anything,” Heider said. “[Bloodstock agent] Donato Lanni reached out to me and told me there was a filly that I should look at. That Monday afternoon, I texted Steve and asked him to look at her for me and later that day he said 'I've seen the filly. She is special'. When she walked into the sales ring, I was sitting next to John Sikura [of Hill n Dale Farm] and just stepped on the gas.”

The pressure of buying a horse for such a large sum of money was relieved when Thoughtfully won so emphatically on debut.

“There are not a lot of Tapit fillies that are ready to go as early as June,” Heider said. “She has a great mind and is really classy. She got mentally ready very early. When she won like that Steve called me up and my response was, 'That's what a good Asmussen filly looks like'.”

Heider praised Asmussen for his ability to condition progeny of Tapit, who are sometimes known for being hard to handle.

“The Tapits can be complicated and tough to handle but Steve knows how to work with them,” Heider said. “If you ask Steve or the help around the barn about the filly they would smile and say that she doesn't act like a typical Tapit. She's very sweet. After the race, before she went into the winner's circle, she just kind of stood there and stared at the big screen. It was pretty neat because Ricardo was just letting her do it. She had to have stood there for about 15 seconds.”

Thoughtfully, bred in Kentucky by Gainesway, is the seventh progeny out of the Seeking the Gold broodmare Pension who has produced all winners including graded stakes winner Annual Report and dual turf stakes winner Giant Payday. Her granddam is Grade 1-winner Furlough and she comes from the same family as champions Heavenly Prize and Dancing Spree as well as Grade 1 winners Dancing Forever, Fantastic Find and Finder's Fee.

As far as the Curlin colt Heider sold? He is named King Fury, and was bought by Kenny McPeek for $950,000, which is exactly what Heider paid for Thoughtfully.

“The irony was that we paid the same amount for the filly that we sold the colt for,” said Heider.

Heider could be getting off to a rocket start to the Saratoga meet as he also will have Please Flatter Me entered in the $85,000 Shine Again on July 17.

The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Munnings made her 4-year-old debut finishing a distant second to Grade 1-winner Guarana in a seven-furlong Churchill Downs allowance race. This was her first start since finishing seventh to eventual Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Covfefe in the Grade 1 Test last August at Saratoga.

“Hopefully we have a nice weekend,” Heider said. “We brought her back after the winter and she chased Guarana around. Her only bad effort was in the Test. She got really nervous in the paddock that day and was all washed out. All the people there made her a little on edge and mentally she wasn't right. Her race was pretty much over in the paddock.”

A winner of four of eight career starts, Please Flatter Me is a three-time stakes winner on the Mid-Atlantic circuit where she was previously conditioned by Mark Reid. She acquired graded stakes black type when finishing second to Covfefe in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness last May at Pimlico.

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