Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Distaff’s Big Stars Do Battle in Azeri

Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn Park features several of the most prominent figures in the Distaff division each lining up to get their first graded stakes win of the 2022 season.

The reigning champion sprinter and winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) returns to the two-turn distance after spending much of her 2021 season at seven-furlongs. She's been plenty successful at this distance before, including a win the 2020 GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park and two third-place efforts in the GII Santa Monica S. and the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. in late summer 2020. Ce Ce has already catalogued career earnings of over $1.7m to date and keeps regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard for trainer Mike McCarthy. Her most recent start was a runner-up finish to the Bob Baffert-trained Merneith (American Pharoah) where she posted a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure, her second straight triple-digit figure. She adds Lasix back after nearly a year of racing without it.

Also adding Lasix again for the first time in a year is 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) who returns to the Azeri after a winning it to kick off her four-year-old campaign a year ago. Freshened since a last out sixth after tracking a brutal opening pace in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 6, Shedaresthedevil will surely look to use this race as she did last year to springboard herself into another successful season. That sixth-place effort was her only off-the-board finish in 2021, where she also posted four wins, each in graded stakes company along with a third behind Letruska in the GI Ogden Phipps S. No stranger to the 1 1/16-mile distance, her previous wins include the GIII Locust Grove S., the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. over GI winners Venetian Harbor (Munnings) and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and the GI La Troienne S. Jockey Florent Geroux retains the ride for trainer Brad Cox.

Standing in the shadow of both previously mentioned mares but a near millionaire herself is Pauline's Pearl (Tapit). The gray filly comes into the Azeri off of back-to-back wins in the Zia Park Oaks and the GIII Houston Ladies Classic, both at the 1 1/16-mile distance, as well as a second-place in the GIII Remington Park Oaks. As a 3-year-old last season, she took Oaklawn Park's richest race for fillies in the GIII Fantasy S. and spent nearly her entire season in graded stakes company where she only finished out of the money once, finished eighth behind Malathaat (Curlin) in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Joel Rosario rides after piloting her in her most recent start, and she also regains Lasix for trainer Steve Asmussen.

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Second Chances: Well-Bred Marsalis One to Watch for Stonestreet & Asmussen

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

In a race that didn't deserve a loser, Stonestreet homebred Marsalis (c, 3, Curlin–Hot Dixie Chick, by Dixie Union) came up a head short on debut after running hard the entire way on the GII Risen Star S. undercard Feb. 19 (video).

The well-bred chestnut's worktab was highlighted by a five-furlong bullet from the gate in :59 4/5 (1/47) at Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen's Fair Grounds base Jan. 30 and he was off as the 7-5 favorite.

Drawn wide in post nine with Joel Rosario in the irons, Marsalis flashed smart early speed and was immediately hounded to his outside by fellow firster Momentous (Speightstown) through an opening quarter in :22.29. Head and head with that Todd Pletcher-trained rival as they approached the quarter pole, Marsalis continued to fight on gamely from the inside with neither giving an inch down the stretch and crossed the wire a painful second in an absolute thriller. It was 5 1/4 lengths back to Major Contender (Distorted Humor) in third.

The final time for six furlongs was 1:09.58. Marsalis earned a solid 75 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“Two really good horses–he ran super,” Stonestreet's bloodstock advisor John Moynihan said.

“He showed a lot of promise last year as a 2-year-old, but he bucked his shins, so we decided not to press on and try to run him at two. Ever since Steve's had him, he's really liked him. But he's one of those horses that from the time we've had him at the farm, he always trained super. [Stonestreet trainer] Ian [Brennan] really really liked him. He went on to Steve and he expected him to really run well.”

Marsalis's pedigree is Stonestreet and Asmussen top and bottom. Hailing by the duo's two-time Horse of the Year and leading sire Curlin, Marsalis is out of 2009 GI Spinaway S. heroine Hot Dixie Chick, a $435,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Old purchase by Barbara Banke's Grace Stables.

The half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) has also produced young Sequel stallion Union Jackson (Curlin), MSW & GSP; and MGSW Pauline's Pearl (Tapit). The latter lines up in Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn.

Hot Dixie Chick had a colt by Constitution in 2021 and was bred back to Quality Road.

“Hot Dixie Chick was a great 2-year-old–she was a really good filly,” Moynihan said. “We bought her out of a 2-year-old sale. It was actually the first horse that Barbara bought on her own while Mr. Jackson was still alive. Hot Dixie Chick has really come on–she had Pauline's Pearl, who ran in the Kentucky Oaks last year. Her first foal Union Jackson was quite talented as well.”

Marsalis has since returned to the worktab with a pair of four-furlong breezes for Asmussen in NOLA, including a :50 flat (19/27) move Mar. 7. Anything penciled in for his next start yet?

“We'll let Steve dictate that, but I'm sure it will be another maiden race,” Moynihan concluded.

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and Lane's End stallion Honor A. P. (Honor Code), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), last weekend's GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and GI Frizette S. third-place finisher A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

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Classic Empire’s Morello Remains Unbeaten in Gotham

The unbeaten Morello (Classic Empire) pressed and pounced his way to a dazzling 4 1/2-length victory in Saturday's one-turn mile GIII Gotham S. at the Big A.

Drawn wide in post nine, the even-money favorite Morello, a last out five-length winner of the local Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6, was bumped hard at the start. Seemingly undeterred, he raced under a nice hold while a stalking second behind fellow two-for-two Dean's List (Speightstown) through an opening quarter in :23.47. He cruised up alongside the pacesetter approaching the quarter pole and set sail for the wire from there to win going away over that rival while earning 50 qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby. California invader Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of this track's GIII Nashua S. Nov. 7 and a runner-up in the GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita Jan. 1, was last of 10 after hitting the gate and stumbling at the start.

Morello was previously a sharp debut winner over this course Nov. 27.

“He got banged around coming out of there and [Rockefeller] came over on top of him, but he just overcomes it like always,” said Toby Sheets, assistant to winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “He just gets out and runs easy. He hasn't been hit by the stick yet.”

On being able to stretch out to two turns, Sheets added, “I don't see why not. He definitely acts like it.”

Winning co-owner Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds added, “Galloping past the wire, the way he did it, we're starting to think about the first Saturday in May at this point. I'll let Toby and Steve make that decision but this group–you saw us celebrating–we're thinking about that.”

He continued, “We're dreaming now. This is a game changer, today. We'll book some hotels and cancel them if we have to. We think we might have a Derby horse here.”

Pedigree Notes:

Morello, the third-highest Classic Empire 2-year-old sold at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale when he brought $250,000 after working a furlong in :10 1/5, is out of a mare who once RNA'd for $1,500. Stop the Wedding eventually sold in 2020 at Keeneland January for $11,000 to Robert Tillyer–co-breeder of Morello–while in foal to Cairo Prince. Her offspring at the sales have been all over the place, with some RNA'ing for the low four figures, and another bringing $525,000 as a juvenile. Morello is her lone stakes winner to date. She's got two fillies in the pipeline–a 2-year-old by Cairo Prince and a yearling by Paynter–and was bred back to Classic Empire for 2022. Stop the Wedding is a half-sister to the dam of MGISP Social Inclusion, who is by Pioneerof the Nile, Classic Empire's sire.

Coolmore America stallion and sophomore sire Classic Empire gets his first graded winner with Morello's Gotham and he almost made it a double, with his Classy Edition finishing second in the GII Davona Dale S. earlier Saturday. Overall, the former champion 2-year-old has three black-type winners and another five stakes performers. Interestingly, both Morello and Classy Edition are out of A.P. Indy-line mares, with Morello's damsire Congrats the broodmare sire of an additional 15 stakes winners, including 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil).

GOTHAM S.-GIII, $300,000, Aqueduct, 3-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.28, ft.
1–MORELLO, 120, c, 3, by Classic Empire
1st Dam: Stop the Wedding, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Wedding Jitters, by Runaway Groom
3rd Dam: Classy Tricks, by Hold Your Tricks
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($140,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $250,000 2yo '21 EASMAY). O-Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Taylor, Craig and Diamond T Racing; B-Robert B. Tillyer & Dr. Chet Blackey (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Jose Lezcano. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $264,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dean's List, 118, c, 3, Speightstown–Mildly Offensive, by Sharp Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($220,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
3–Golden Code, 118, c, 3, Honor Code–Jb's Golden Regret, by Banker's Gold. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($95,000 Wlg '19 FTKNOV). O-Calumet Farm; B-Barry R. Ostrager (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $36,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1, HD. Odds: 1.00, 5.50, 27.50.
Also Ran: Life Is Great, Glider, Runninsonofagun, Fromanothamutha, Noneedtoworry, Bold Journey, Rockefeller.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Secret Oath Looks Imposing in Honeybee

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas won the first four runnings of the GIII Honeybee S. starting way back in 1988, and after picking up another trophy in 2007, sits tied with fellow Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen at a record five wins in Oaklawn's penultimate GI Kentucky Oaks prep. Lukas looks well positioned to break that tie with Asmussen as he sends out expected heavy favorite Secret Oath (Arrogate) in Saturday's renewal.

Briland Farm homebred Secret Oath was a second-out romper around two turns at Churchill on Halloween before finishing a distant fifth in that venue's GII Golden Rod S. Nov. 27. She took a dramatic step forward when airing by 8 1/4 lengths in a local allowance on New Year's Eve–good for a 93 Beyer Speed Figure–and justified 1-2 odds when dominating the track-and-trip Martha Washington S. Jan. 29.

Asmussen trainee Optionality (Gun Runner), previously an easy winner of stakes at Zia Park and Remington, was 7 1/2 lengths behind Secret Oath while completing the Martha Washington exacta after setting the pace. Asmussen makes a rider switch from Ricardo Santana, Jr. to Tyler Gaffalione this time.

Yuugiri (Shackleford), piloted by Gaffalione in all three starts last season, will be ridden this time by Hall of Famer John Velazquez and seems the main danger on paper to Secret Oath. A 7 1/4-length debut romper sprinting at Churchill in September, she was a well-beaten second in the Oct. 31 Rags to Riches S. and then turned the tables on that race's winner when second in the Golden Rod. While Secret Oath has certainly flattered the form of the Golden Rod, no others have, including the winner, who was sixth in last weekend's GII Rachel Alexandra S.

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