Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pauline’s Pearl Gives Asmussen Third Houston Ladies Classic Victory

A very successful renewal of the Houston Racing Festival at Sam Houston Race Park took place on Sunday afternoon in Houston, Texas, with exciting performances throughout the program and tremendous support by horseplayers here and across the country.

For the second year in a row, Sam Houston Race Park set a new all-source handle record with $5.98 million wagered on the 11-race program. This number topped last year's wagering record of 5.3 million and the $5.2 million wagered on the NTRA Great State Challenge in 2002.

Stonestreet Stable LLC's homebred Pauline's Pearl won the richest race on the card, the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic.

It was the third win in the Houston Ladies Classic for Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, who trained previous winners Midnight Bisou and Lady Apple. On Sunday, Pauline's Pearl, at odds of 3-5, joined the list as his third winner of the featured race since the Houston Ladies Classic was inaugurated in 2013.

“This is a very key race and the mares who have won this have a big say in the stakes for older mares,” said Asmussen. “Pauline's Pearl is a very nice Stonestreet homebred who has been training extremely well and we are proud of this victory.”

Asmussen spoke about the future of the talented filly.

“She won the Fantasy at Oaklawn last year, so we will head back to Hot Springs and hope she continues to progress,” he added.

The multiple graded stakes placed filly won the Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn Park last spring before competing in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). She is a daughter of Tapit and is out of the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick, a multiple graded stakes winner who Asmussen also trained during her racing career.

With her share of the Houston Ladies Classic purse, Pauline's Pearl is just shy of becoming racing's newest millionaire, with $968,500 earned in 11 starts and four wins.

The victory gave Joel Rosario his second stakes win of the day. The pair sat off the pace early and had their work cut out for them as they swung wide in the final turn and pulled clear of runner-up Golden Curl in the stretch to win by 3 3/4 lengths. The final time for the mile and one-sixteenth on the main track stake on the main track was 1:44.43. Golden Curl sat comfortably in second place throughout the race with Tyler Gaffalione aboard for trainer Shawn Davis.

“The trip set up beautifully for us,” said Gaffalione. “She broke alertly and the favorite went ahead. I was able to get to her outside. She settled nicely and even though we couldn't catch the winner, my filly gave a good performance today.”

The 6-year-old Curlin mare is also bred by Stonestreet and is owned by George Sharp. She made her debut in Houston in the Ladies Classic and was a stakes winner at Remington last fall.

Corey Lanerie and Audrey's Time finished third for trainer Neil Pessin. Owned by Lothenbach Stables, Audrey's Time is a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo who shipped in fresh off a win at the Fair Grounds in the $75,000 Joseph “Spanky” Broussard Stakes.

Becca's Rocket completed the superfecta while pacesetter The Mary Rose finished fifth, followed by Velvet Crush and Champagne Affair.

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Oaks Prep: Optionality Faces Secret Oath In Martha Washington

If the linemaker is correct, it will be a Hall of Fame exacta in the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Oaklawn.

Multiple stakes winner Optionality is the 9-5 program favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Secret Oath is the early 2-1 second choice for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Probable post time for the Martha Washington, which goes as the fourth of 11 races, is 1:32 p.m. (Central). First post Saturday is 12:02 p.m.

The 1 1/16-mile Martha Washington is Oaklawn's first of three Kentucky Oaks points races and will offer 17 to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1) toward starting eligibility for the country's biggest event for 3-year-old fillies.

While Optionality will be making her Oaklawn debut Saturday, Secret Oath may be the most impressive winner to date during the 2021-2022 meeting that began Dec. 3. Combining style and substance, Secret Oath demolished an allowance field by 8 ¼ lengths Dec. 31 under Luis Contreras to earn a Beyer Speed Figure of 93, among the highest in the country for a 2-year-old in 2021. The 1-mile race also marked the most lopsided victory in Oaklawn's brief history of running routes for 2-year-olds.

Paired for the first time with Contreras, Secret Oath raced well off the early pace and waited briefly in traffic reeling in the leaders on the second turn. Secret Oath moved three-wide turning for home and drew off in the final furlong to become the first female Oaklawn winner sired by the late champion Arrogate.

“If we can get that repeat performance, we'll be in pretty good shape,” Lukas said. “That was impressive. It was absolutely textbook. If I'd drawn it up on paper and got the other seven or eight or nine that were in there to cooperate, that's the way I would like it. I'd like to have her inside like that, catching dirt in her face and then angling out and opening up on them like that. That was textbook.”

A homebred for Briland Farm (Robert and Stacy Mitchell), Secret Oath returned with a half-mile bullet workout (:46.80) Jan. 11 in advance of her 3-year-old debut.

Lukas and Briland teamed to win three Oaklawn stakes ($100,000 Bayakoa in 2011 and 2012 and $75,000 Pippin in 2012) with Absinthe Minded, who is Secret Oath's dam.

Secret Oath's task now, Lukas said, is to record consecutive victories for the first time in her brief career. Secret Oath was coming off a fifth-place finish in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs. After finishing third in her career debut, Secret Oath broke her maiden by 5 ¼ lengths at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 31 at Churchill Downs.

“Some days these fillies are like your wife,” Lukas said. “They're a little temperamental and you can't always depend on them giving the same performance every day, so we'll look past that one, though, and look for a little improvement. I think she'll be one of the choices.”

Lukas is seeking his record-tying third Martha Washington victory, having won the race in 2010 with Decelerator and 2015 with champion Take Charge Brandi.

Asmussen also is seeking his third Martha Washington victory after winning the first division in 2008 (Sky Mom) and 2013 (Sister Ginger).

The rapidly improving Optionality, a homebred daughter of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner for Winchell Thoroughbreds (Ron and Joan Winchell), has won her last three starts by a combined 21 ½ lengths.

Optionality won the $50,000 Zia Park Princess Stakes by 6 ½ lengths Nov. 23 at Zia Park and closed 2021 by winning the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes by 8 ¼ lengths Dec. 17 at Remington Park in her two-turn debut.

“She hasn't done anything wrong,” said David Fiske, the Winchells' longtime farm and racing manager. “Her speed figures keep increasing every time she goes out. We thought maybe she was just a sprinter, but going around two turns at Remington didn't seem to bother her that much. Won by a big margin, so we thought she deserved her chance to kind of step up on the big stage.”

The projected six-horse Martha Washington field from the rail out: Hypersport, Tiago Pereira to ride, 115 pounds; 8-1 on the morning line; Princess Pauline, Francisco Arrieta, 115, 8-1; Como Square, John Velazquez, 122, 5-2; Optionality, Ricardo Santana Jr., 122, 9-5; Cupid's Music, Luis Quinonez, 115, 20-1; and Secret Oath, Luis Contreras, 122, 2-1.

All six entrants will remove Lasix, owing to a ban on the anti-bleeder medication in Kentucky Oaks points races.

Unbeaten Como Square (2 for 2) will be making her seasonal, stakes and two-turn debut for trainer Brad Cox and breeder/owner John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs. Como Square was a 4 ¾-length winner of her Nov. 11 career debut at Indiana Grand and came from well off the pace to clear her first allowance condition Dec. 19 at Oaklawn, while her more highly regarded stablemate, Marr Time, a half-sister, to, among others, champion Beholder and super sire Into Mischief, finished last after becoming fractious in the gate.

“She got a good setup that day,” Cox said. “She's been a little surprising, I'll admit it. She's been a little surprising that she's 2 for 2, but you can't take anything away from her heart and determination. She's a very tough filly.”

Cox and Anthony teamed to win the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and run second in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) last year at Oaklawn with Como Square's half-brother, Caddo River. Como Square is by Into Mischief.

The speedy Hypersport figures to set the pace from the rail for trainer Ingrid Mason. Hypersport was a sharp opening-day maiden winner sprinting before finishing a leg-weary fourth, beaten 12 ¾ lengths by Secret Oath, in her two-turn debut New Year's Eve. Cupid's Music ran ninth in the Dec. 31 allowance race for breeder/owner/trainer Danele Durham. Supplemental nominee Princess Pauline is a four-race maiden for Asmussen.

The Martha Washington, which was inaugurated in 1979, is being run for the first time at 1 1/16 miles after previously being a mile.

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Stolen Base Leads The Field In Newly-Named Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile

Sam Houston Race Park will host its annual Houston Racing Festival on Sunday, Jan. 30. A special post time of 1:45 pm (CT) has been set for the marquee day of the 2022 Thoroughbred meet with six featured stakes.

As previously reported, two graded stakes will be contested: the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic and the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf. A very promising forecast of clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60's is on tap for the Sunday afternoon program.

One of the undercard stakes features a very competitive field and a new name in honor of Robert L. Bork, former Sam Houston Race Park president. The $200,000 Texas Turf Mile for 3 year-olds has been renamed the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile. Bork, who made a tremendous impact on the racing industry, nationally and in Houston, passed away peacefully on June 11, 2021 at the age of 83.

Members of the Bork family will present the trophy following the running of the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile. Dan Bork, who serves as assistant racing secretary/stakes coordinator at Churchill Downs and racing secretary at Ellis Park, speaks proudly of his father's accomplishments in the racing industry.

“My father was a respected racing executive for over four decades,” he said. “He truly loved horse racing and the development of Sam Houston Race Park as the first Class 1 racetrack in Texas meant a great deal to him. His wife, Judith, my son, Owen, my sister Dina and brother Michael look forward to honoring him on Sunday.”

A field of eleven will enter the starting gate for this one-mile feature for 3-year-olds on the Connally Turf Course.

Stolen Base, who competed in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, has been tabbed as the 3-1 morning line choice. The son of Bodemeister is owned by Three Diamonds Farm and Deuce Greathouse. Trained by Mike Maker, he won his debut at Saratoga last July and advanced directly into stakes competition. The Kentucky-bred colt ran second in the Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 5. Giovanni Franco has the call and will break from post position seven.

“He had some traffic issues in the Breeders' Cup, but ran a credible race,” said Maker, who will also saddle Pure Panic and Grantham in the Bob Bork. “Stolen Base has been working well for his 3-year-old season.”

Horses trained by Eclipse Award winning trainers Steve Asmussen, Todd Pletcher, and Brad Cox will also be in the mix. Asmussen will saddle Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC homebred Red Run and Down Cold, who is owned by L and N Racing LLC and Team Hanley. Joel Rosario has the call on Red Run, sired by Gun Runner. Veteran rider Stewart Elliott, who rides first call for Asmussen in Texas and Oklahoma, will guide the gelded son of Mastery.

“He is a very talented son of Gun Runner and in the capable hands of Joel,” said Asmussen. “Down Cold had a nice win at Sam Houston (on January 6) and deserves the opportunity to run at this level.”

Pletcher, who won the 2017 Houston Ladies Classic with Unbridled Mo, will ship in Chanceux for Harrell Ventures, LLC. This will be just the fourth start for the Speightstown colt, who ran second in the $100,000 Dania Beach earlier this month at Gulfstream Park.

“That was his first start around two turns, so we thought this race would be a good fit, plus the Harrells live in Houston” said Pletcher. “Very nice of Sam Houston to name the race after Bob Bork, who was such an admired leader in our industry.”

Cox, who won the 2018 Houston Ladies Classic with Tiger Moth, will be represented by Bloodline, owned by Karl and Cathi Glassman. The son of Uncle Mo will make his stakes debut after winning a main track allowance at Fair Grounds on December 31. He will also ship Dean Maltzman's homebred Kaely's Brother from Fair Grounds, who last competed in the $75,000 Sugar Bowl on December 27.

The Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile will run as the sixth race on the card with an approximate post time of 4:23 pm (CT). The field, from the rail, with riders and morning-line odds:

Bloodline, Marcelino Pedroza, Jr , 12-1;
Dowagiac Chief, James Graham, 8-1;
Malibu Thunder, Ezequiel Lara, 50-1;
Chanceux, Reylu Gutierrez., 4-1;
Down Cold, Stewart Elliott, 15-1;
Pure Panic, Richard Eramia, 5-1;
Stolen Base, Giovanni Franco, 3-1;
Kaely's Brother, Adam Beschizza, 6-1;
Screwball, Ry Eikleberry, 20-1;
Grantham, Tyler Gafflione, 6-1;
Red Run, Joel Rosario, 11-1.

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Pauline’s Pearl Headlines Sunday’s John B. Connally Turf Cup At Sam Houston

The fields are set for the premier day of Thoroughbred racing at Sam Houston Race Park. The Houston Racing Festival will take place on Sunday, Jan. 30 with a special afternoon post time of 1:45 p.m. (CT). The 11-race card includes six stakes, highlighted by the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic and Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup.

Now in its tenth running, the Houston Ladies Classic, at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, has been a springboard for top older fillies and mares The purse was boosted to $400,000 this year (from $300,000) in its previous editions and Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen will go for his third victory with Stonestreet Stable LLC's homebred Pauline's Pearl. The filly by Tapit out of the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick, drew post position three with Joel Rosario riding the 6-5 morning line favorite. He and Asmussen have teamed successfully of late; Rosario guided La Crete to victory in Saturday's Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds.

The victory by Pauline's Pearl would vault Asmussen into the record books as the only conditioner to win three editions of the Houston Ladies Classic. He won with Midnight Bisou in 2019, the remarkable champion who went on to capture five Grade 1 stakes, banking $7.4 million and was honored as 2019 Eclipse Award winning older female. He also captured 2020 Houston Ladies Classic with Lady Apple, a 5-year-old daughter of Curlin owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred III Ltd.

Pauline's Pearl will be making her 11th career start on Sunday. She made her debut at Fair Grounds last year before shipping to Oaklawn Park for the 2021 Honeybee on March 6. She finished second in that Grade 3 before triumphing in the G3, $600,000 Fantasy. The gray filly completed her 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Zia Park Oaks on Nov. 23. Asmussen sent the Kentucky-bred filly back to Fair Grounds where she had a series of works in December and January before vanning to Houston last week. On Saturday, Jan. 22, she looked comfortable jogging on a fast main track under exercise rider Eulalio Rivera.

“She's a very nice filly,” said Asmussen. “We have had success with both Midnight Bisou and Lady Apple in this race and look forward to running Pauline's Pearl for Stonestreet Stables.”

The Mary Rose, bred and owned in Arkansas, by Shortleaf Stable, Inc, will ship to Houston from Oaklawn Park on Thursday, according to her trainer John Alexander Ortiz. He has conditioned the 5-year-old Macho Uno mare since last summer, with four on the board placings in five starts. She finished her 2021 season with an impressive seven-length score in a $50,000 allowance at Oaklawn Park on Dec. 31.

“The lightbulb turned on for me in her second race last August at Colonial Downs,” said Ortiz. “She pretty much sprinted. I wanted to see what she did going two turns and she blew the doors off in her last race.”

Jockey Reylu Gutierrez has the call and will break from the far outside post at odds of 3-1. The talented young rider will make his second appearance in the Houston Ladies Classic after riding Jeweled Princess last year for Kenny McPeek.

Shipping from Fair Grounds in New Orleans will be Lothenbach Stable's Inc's Audrey's Time who just won the $75,000 Joseph Spanky Broussard Stakes for trainer Neil Pessin. Corey Lanerie has the return call aboard the 5-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo. Trainer Michael Stidham has entered Velvet Crush, a 5-year-old Tapit mare bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farms and owned by Famousstyle Stables, LLC. Stakes placed at Monmouth Park and Belmont Park, she ran third to Audrey's Time at Fair Grounds last month. Current Sam Houston leading jockey Ry Eikleberry has the call and will break from the rail at odds of 8-1.

Trainer Scott Gelner who competed in last year's edition of the race with Shes Our Fastest for Norman Racing Stables, will saddle Becca's Rocket for the same connections with Adam Beschizza in the irons. The 4-year-old daughter of Orb will be making her 16th career start. Golden Curl, owned by George A. Sharp, will ship in from Turfway Park. The 6-year-old Curlin mare is trained by Shawn H. Davis with Tyler Gafflione flying in from Gulfstream Park to ride. Champagne Affair will make her Sam Houston debut for owners L & G Racing Stable. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Daredevil will be ridden by Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez for trainer Cesar Govea.

The field for the Houston Ladies Classic, will run as the seventh race, with an approximate post time of 4:53 pm (CT). The field, from the rail, with jockeys and morning line odds:

Velvet Crush, Ry Eikleberry (8-1); Audrey's Time, Corey Lanerie (7-2); Pauline's Pearl, Joel Rosario (6-5); Becca's Rocket, Adam Beschizza, (10-1); Champagne Affair, Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez (30-1); Golden Curl, Tyler Gafflione (20-1) and The Mary Rose, Reylu Gutierrez (3-1).

Inaugurated in 2013, the Houston Ladies Classic was awarded its graded status by the American Graded Stakes Committee in 2016. It anchors the annual Houston Racing Festival, which also includes the G3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, the $200,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile, the $100,000 Pulse Power Turf Sprint, the $75,000 Jersey Lilly Turf Stakes and the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint.

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