Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Epicenter Draws Six As 7-5 Favorite in Eight-Horse Travers

Winchell Thoroughbreds' MGSW and GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. runner-up Epicenter (Not This Time) drew post six in a field of eight and was installed as a significant 7-5 favorite in Saturday's 153rd renewal of the $1.25 million GI Runhappy Travers S. The Steve Asmussen pupil, last seen producing a dazzling late-to-first kick to capture the local GII Jim Dandy S. July 30, will be ridden by regular jockey Joel Rosario, who missed most of the past week of racing at Saratoga with an illness.

Given the second-choice nod at 7-2 is Gold Square's rail-drawn multiple Grade I winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner). Scoring in the GI Arkansas Derby earlier this year, Cyberknife has bounced back from a disappointing run in the Kentucky Derby with back-to-back successes in the GIII Matt Winn S. and GI Haskell Invitational S. The chestnut will look to give trainer Brad Cox consecutive Travers triumphs after his champion Essential Quality (Tapit) won the 1 1/4-mile test in 2021.

Kentucky Derby upsetter Rich Strike (Keen Ice) drew post two as a 10-1 chance. After his unforgettable closing flourish to shock the Run for the Roses at 80-1, the Eric Reed trainee famously passed on a try at the Preakness only to run sixth in the GI Belmont S. Journeyman Sonny Leon keeps the mount.

Leading trainer Chad Brown will have three starters in the Travers: Preakness hero Early Voting (Gun Runner, 8-1, post seven), Grade I winner and Derby third Zandon (Upstart, 5-1, post eight) and Artorius (Arrogate, 9-2, post five), an impressive winner of the Curlin S. July 29 at the Spa. Brown, who made news last week after he was arrested in Saratoga Springs, is looking for his first Travers victory.
Rounding out the field are Iowa Derby winner Ain't Life Grand (Not This Time, 20-1) from post three and Curlin runner-up Gilded Age (Medaglia d'Oro, 30-1) from post four.

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Freshman Sire Combatant Dies from Colic in Chile

First year stallion and 2020 G1 Santa Anita H. winner Combatant (Scat Daddy-Border Dispute, by Boundary) has died suddenly from colic in Chile. He had just begun Southern Hemisphere stud duties at Haras Porta Pia. Combatant stood his first year at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, NY.

Earner of over a million in his racing career, one which saw him annex the Big Cap and pick up minor honors in six other graded contests, Combatant was a $320,000 yearling purchase by Winchell Thoroughbreds at KEESEP in 2016. He placed in the GIII Southwest S. and GII Rebel S. before running fourth in the GI Arkansas Derby and 18th in that year's GI Kentucky Derby. He would go on to a third place effort in the GII Mathis Brothers Mile S. at Santa Anita before dropping back into allowance ranks and eventually selling after his final victory in November in the Asmussen barn.

Exchanging hands for $220,000 at KEENOV in 2019, going the way of David Ingordo as agent for Hronis Racing, he won the GI Santa Anita H. in just his second start for John Sadler, holding on gamely to turn away a late challenger. It would prove to be the last victory of his career before the stallion was retired to stud after six successive losses.

A Scat Daddy half to producer, GSW Long Lashes (Rock Hard Ten); GSP producer Mythical Border (Johannesburg); and stakes-placed Bordini (Bernardini), he was the most accomplished runner for his dam. He hailed from the extended female family of MGSW Conserve (Boundary), two-time Canadian Horse of the Year L'Enjoleur (Buckpasser), three-time Canadian champion racemare La Voyageuse (Tentam), MGSW Time Bandit (Time for a Change), and French Hwt. 2-year-old colt Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) (Danehill).

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Summer of ‘Love’ Continues for Gun Runner With Latest Spa Debut Winner

6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-21, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.93, ft, 4 3/4 lengths.

GRAND LOVE (f, 2, Gun Runner–Grand Prayer {SW, $145,170}, by Grand Slam) continued the eternal hot streak for her superstar second-crop sire with a speedy debut score Sunday at Saratoga. Tipping her hand with a half-mile gate breeze in :47 2/5 (4/143) over this track July 31, the Three Chimneys homebred was let go as the 47-10 fourth choice and broke like a rocket from her inside post. Quickly two lengths clear, the bay showed the way through a :21.96 quarter while being chased by narrow favorite Rarify (Justify). That rival crept closer entering the bend and it appeared a stretch duel was imminent nearing the turn for home, but Grand Love would have none of it and burst clear again once straightening. Shying in from a right-handed Ricardo Santana, Jr. whip around the eighth pole, she jumped back to her left lead and stayed there for the remainder of the race, dulling her momentum some, but still kicked home a clear 4 3/4-length winner over Rarify in 1:17.93. A half-sister to Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon), GISW, $618,026; and Valid (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSW & GISP, $1,104,647, Grand Love is the last reported foal for her dam, who sold for $1 million to Besilu Stables at Keeneland November in 2011. Grand Prayer is herself a half-sister to GISW Swagger Jack (Smart Strike) and GSW Tap Dance (Pleasant Tap). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

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Echo Again Becomes Sixth Rising Star for Gun Runner

Echo Again (Gun Runner) was no secret coming into this debut and ran to the hype, becoming the latest 'TDN Rising Star' for his sensational young sire with an eye-catching graduation at Saratoga. Away quickest of all from the center stall, the 3-5 chalk seized the early advantage and seemed well within himself as he coasted along through opening splits of :22.39 and :45.66. Turning for home with a head of steam, the gray opened up with ease while under a hand ride from Ricardo Santana, Jr. to win for fun by 6 3/4 lengths. Summonyourcourage (Practical Joke) was best of the rest in second. The Winchell homebred is the sixth 'TDN Rising Star' for last year's leading freshman sire and Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who was campaigned by the same connections.

Echo Again is a fourth generation Winchell homebred. Current stable principal Ron Winchell's father, Verne Winchell, acquired and campaigned the colt's fourth dam Carol's Christmas (Whitesburg) back in the early eighties. The winner's SP dam Teardrop also walked the Asmussen shedrow, as have her older offspring SW & GSP Pneumatic (Uncle Mo) and SP Costa Terra (Gun Runner). Teardrop is a half-sister to GI Forego S. winner and sire Pyro (Pulpit), GSW War Echo (Tapit), SW & G1SP Farrier (Tapit), and MSW & GSP Longview Drive (Pulpit). The 11-year-old mare produced a filly by these connections' Copper Bullet in 2021 and had a Gun Runner colt Apr. 24 of this year. She returned to that dual Eclipse Winner this season.

7th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-20, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.89, ft,
6 3/4 lengths.
ECHO AGAIN, c, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Teardrop (SP), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Wild Vision, by Wild Again
                3rd Dam: Carol's Wonder, by Pass the Tab
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. *1/2 to Pneumatic (Uncle Mo), SW & GSP, $275,390. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree, or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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