Tag: Steve Asmussen

Epicenter Highlights Busy Asmussen Worktab; Rich Strike Classic-Bound

Champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) and probable champion Epicenter (Not This Time) topped a busy worktab for Steve Asmussen's potential Breeders' Cup starters Sunday morning at Keeneland as the racing world draws closer than two weeks away from the 39th World Championships in Lexington Nov. 4-5.

With exercise rider Wilson Fabian aboard, Echo Zulu drilled five furlongs in :59 2/5 in company with Marsalis (Curlin). The move was the fastest five-eighths of 30 Sunday over the fast main track. Echo Zulu, who returned off a layoff to win the GIII Dogwood S. last out, is being pointed to the $1-million GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Next was Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Society (Gun Runner). With jockey Florent Geroux aboard, Society worked 5 furlongs in :59 4/5 in company. A winner of five of six starts, including the GI Cotillion S. in her most recent outing, Society is being pointed to the $2-million GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Also working before 6 a.m. was Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere (Curlin), who breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00 4/5 with Joel Rosario aboard in company. Clairiere, like Society, is being pointed to the Distaff.

Following the first track renovation break that ended at 7:30, Winchell Thoroughbreds' GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Epicenter worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 with Rosario up in company.

“He's a nice horse and I am just glad to be on him,” Rosario, who has ridden Epicenter in his past seven races, said. “He's more mature and looks like he has grown and is stronger. He finished up good; training really good.”

This was the fourth local work for Epicenter, who has compiled four wins and three seconds in 2022 highlighted by a victory in the GI Runhappy Travers S. in his most recent start.

“This morning was more of the same,” owner Ron Winchell said. “He did what he needed to do.”

Winchell picked up two more possible Breeders' Cup hopefuls Saturday at Keeneland when homebreds Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) won the GII Lexus Raven Run S. and Gunite (Gun Runner) took the Perryville S. Wicked Halo could go to the Filly and Mare Sprint and Gunite to the $2-million GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

On the West Coast, likely prohibitive GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile favorite Cave Rock (Arrogate) worked six furlongs in 1:11 1/5 (1/5) at Santa Anita in company for trainer Bob Baffert. The undefeated colt was last seen dominating the GI American Pharoah S.

In other Breeders' Cup news, the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) announced that the over-achieving chestnut will be pointed to the Classic over a potential start in the GI Clark H. Nov. 25 at Churchill.”Rich Strike is doing as good as he ever has, and [owner] Rick [Dawson] feels that he deserves the chance to take on the best in the world,” trainer Eric Reed said.

Reed planned to bring Rich Strike to Keeneland from his base at the Mercury Equine Center Sunday afternoon with the colt scheduled to gallop Monday morning before moving Monday afternoon to the barns on Rice Road that will serve as the home to all Breeders' Cup runners. Rich Strike is expected to work Tuesday morning.

The post Epicenter Highlights Busy Asmussen Worktab; Rich Strike Classic-Bound appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Gun Runner’s Wicked Halo Streaks to Raven Run Win

Sent off the lukewarm 5-2 choice, Winchell Thoroughbred's Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) made that price seem like a gift after rolling home an emphatic four-length winner in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. Settled in third, Wicked Halo waited as Smash Ticket (Midnight Lute) sprinted to the front and carved out an opening quarter in :22.73 while Freedom Speaks (American Freedom) pressed the issue. Three wide and ready to pounce at any moment following a half in :46.09, Wicked Halo collared the front-running duo while fanned out several paths wide turning for home, bounded clear through the stretch as the early leaders faded and proved much the best while scampering home comfortably ahead of SW Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), who closed from well off the pace to edge Midnight Stroll (Not This Time) for the runner-up spot. The victory represented the second stakes win on the card for Winchell, Asmussen and Gun Runner following Gunite's score in the Perryville S.

“It's extremely special,” said Asmussen. “Their level of ability is obvious, but the fact that they thrive with racing and have continued to get better is so rare. I think they are very similar in the fact that they've just accepted their job and continuously gotten faster. Obviously, they're very sound horses–great homebreds for Winchell. I'm very fortunate to have them.”

Showing her talent right out of the box, Wicked Halo went wire-to-wire in her career bow at Lone Star and added a victory in the GII Adirondack S. at the Spa later that summer. Sidelined for the rest of her juvenile season after that, she needed a few starts to get going, finishing third in two of three starts in the first part of 2022 before kicking off a three-race win skein in Churchill's Leslie's Lady S. In June. Stretching to a mile for the Tepin S. July 2, the grey handled that with aplomb and duly followed up with a narrow victory in Saratoga's six-furlong GII Prioress S. Sept. 2.
“She did everything very easily,” added winning rider Tyler Gaffalione, who was also aboard for Gunite's win earlier in the day. “I'm just so thankful I was able to get the opportunity to steer them around there. It was a lot of fun today.”

Pedigree Notes:
Wicked Halo's dam, Just Wicked, also showed early precocity to win the 2015 renewal of the Adirondack. Following Wicked Halo, the half-sister to GSW My Miss Lilly (Tapit) produced a pair of Gun Runners, a colt in 2020 and a filly last term. She was bred back to the hot sire for 2023.

Saturday, Keeneland
LEXUS RAVEN RUN S.-GII, $334,500, Keeneland, 10-22, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:24.30, ft.
1–WICKED HALO, 120, f, 3, by Gun Runner
          1st Dam: Just Wicked (GSW, $208,460), by Tapit
          2nd Dam: Wicked Deed, by Harlan's Holiday
          3rd Dam: Marfa's Squall, by Marfa
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $206,150. Lifetime Record: 10-6-0-3, $780,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fingal's Cave, 120, f, 3, Carpe Diem–Barbie On a Budget, by Mineshaft. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($75,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Alifyfe Racing, LLC; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-David G. Donk. $57,000.
3–Midnight Stroll, 120, f, 3, Not This Time–Midnight Magic, by Midnight Lute. ($14,000 RNA Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $225,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O-Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld; B-Carolin Von Rosenberg (FL); T-John P. Terranova, II. $28,500.
Margins: 4, NK, 3 3/4. Odds: 2.52, 4.46, 5.05.
Also Ran: Freedom Speaks, Last Leaf, Smash Ticket, Colorful Mischief, Republique, Union Lake.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D  &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Gun Runner’s Wicked Halo Streaks to Raven Run Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Gunite Dazzles In Perryville

In another dominating display of talent, Gunite pounced on dueling rivals and rolled home to a flashy victory in Keeneland's Perryville S.

Second to fleet-footed stakes-winner Conagher (Jimmy Creed) in a non-winners of three at Churchill Downs June 3, he parlayed that effort into victories in that track's Maxfield S., Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S., and a runner-up effort two-back to Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Returning to winning ways last out Sept. 24 in the Harrods Creek S. beneath the Twin Spires over familiar foe Conagher, the 3-5 favorite made short work of his rivals here when the real running began.

Perched in third early as Provocateur (Into Mischief) and Of a Revolution (Maclean's Music) battled through :22.38 and :45.82 splits, Tyler Gaffalione was content to range into his striking position approaching the five-sixteenths pole before inhaling the tiring pacesetters. Kicking clear in upper stretch, Gunite meant business as he strode home 3 3/4 lengths best over 25-1 longshot Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft), who valiantly tried to make a race of it.

“[Gunite has shown] beautiful consistency. He has performed at the highest levels and continues to impress. He carries himself like he can do this. He's got a confidence. He accepts what's happening and does it extremely well,” said conditioner Steve Asmussen in a winner's circle interview.

And as for a possible start in the GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint in two weeks' time?

“This was the first test: how he handles Keeneland,” said Asmussen. “I thought he ran really well. He was very comfortable and looked great over the race track. Now it will all be about how he comes back. But we have until Monday [pre-entry deadline] to decide.”

Out of a stakes-winning half-sister to MSW Optionality (Gun Runner) and SP Simply Sovereign (American Pharoah), Gunite is his dam's only foal to the races thus far. Simple Surprise has a 2-year-old full-sister to the winner named Surprise Attack and produced a pair of half-sisters to those–a yearling by Copper Bullet and a 2022 weanling by Tapiture. She went back to Gun Runner for 2023. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

PERRYVILLE S., $250,000, Keeneland, 10-22, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.21, ft.
1–GUNITE, 122, c, 3, by Gun Runner
          1st Dam: Simple Surprise (SW, $185,446), by Cowboy Cal
          2nd Dam: Simplify, by Pulpit
          3rd Dam: Classic Olympio, by Olympio
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $151,125. Lifetime Record: GISW, 12-6-4-1, $965,934.
2–Hoist the Gold, 118, c, 3, Mineshaft–Tacit Approval, by Tapit. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Dream Team One Racing Stable; B-Dream Team Racing (KY); T-Dallas Stewart. $48,750.
3–B Dawk, 118, c, 3, Gormley–Mott N Hester, by Super Saver. ($77,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $140,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $425,000 2yo '21 EASMAY; $500,000 RNA 3yo '22 KEEAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Joseph E. Besecker; B-Small Batch Thoroughbreds & Robert Fetkin (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $24,375.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3, 3 3/4. Odds: 0.62, 25.78, 7.02.
Also Ran: Artorius, Friar Laurence, Of a Revolution, Provocateur. Scratched: Pinehurst.

The post Gunite Dazzles In Perryville appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Asmussen Quintet Tunes Up for Breeders’ Cup

Trainer Steve Asmussen sent five Breeders' Cup contenders out to work Sunday at Keeneland.

Grade I-winning fillies Clairiere (Curlin) and Society (Gun Runner), working in company, went five furlongs in a bullet :59.80 (1/34) in preparation for the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The duo worked through fractions of :11.80, :23.80, :35.60, :47.60, :59.80 and out six furlongs in 1:13.20.

Epicenter (Not This Time), off since winning the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 27, worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.20 (3/34) in preparation for the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The sophomore worked through fractions of :12.60, :24.60, :37.40, 1:00.20 and out six furlongs in 1:14.

Champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), aiming for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint, went five furlongs in company with maiden winner Marsalis (Curlin) in 1:02.80 (25/34). The filly, who suffered the first loss of her career when fourth in the GI Kentucky Oaks, rebounded with a win in the Sept. 24 GII Dogwood S. last time out.

Also working Sunday at Keeneland, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies contender Grand Love (Gun Runner) went five furlongs in 1:00.60 (7/34) while working with maiden winner Bella Runner (Gun Runner).

“They put in good, solid moves,” Asmussen said Sunday. “They came out of it good and cooled out nicely, and we've got Jackie's Warrior [working] tomorrow. I am extremely pleased with how the preparation has gone. The weather has been excellent. The race track is in good shape and I love the shape they are in.”

Trainer Wesley Ward had a pair of Breeders' Cup contenders work Sunday at Keeneland. Kimari (Munnings), considered possible for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint or the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 (7/34). Nakatomi (Firing Line), a possible Sprint candidate, worked a half-mile in :48.80 (10/50).

The post Asmussen Quintet Tunes Up for Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights