Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Max Player Powers Clear in Jockey Club Gold Cup

George Hall and SportBLX's Max Player (Honor Code) proved his bounce-back GII Suburban S. score in July was no fluke as he again showed more speed and pulled away to an emphatic victory in the repositioned GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. A fringe player on last year's Triple Crown trail, the Steve Asmussen trainee has stamped himself as a legitimate GI Breeders' Cup Classic threat in two strong efforts at 10 furlongs, and earned an automatic berth into the year-end championship event Saturday as part of the “Win and You're In” series.

Scrubbed on by adept gate rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. from the blocks, 7-2 Max Player locked on to even-money Forza Di Oro (Speightstown) through a half in :48.70 and six panels in 1:13.14. The dark bay cranked up the pressure heading for home as last year's Jockey Club winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Happy Saver (Super Saver) loomed a threat just in behind. Forza Di Oro cut the corner and briefly looked like he might open back up, but Max Player hit his stride by midstretch and powered away from there, relishing the real estate, to post the four-length victory. Happy Saver picked off the chalk late for second.

“It was beautiful,” said Asmussen, who took this historic event in both 2007 and 2008 with fellow Hall of Famer Curlin and again in 2010 when it was contested at Belmont Park. “Max, in the Suburban, ran that race under different circumstances on an off track. For him to do this on a fast track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup here at Saratoga, it is very satisfying. This is who he is, and I thought it was a dominating win.”

Saturday, Saratoga
JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP S.-GI, $955,000, Saratoga, 9-4, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:02.49, ft.
1–MAX PLAYER, 126, c, 4, by Honor Code
                1st Dam: Fools in Love (SW, $240,746), by Not For Love
                2nd Dam: Parlez, by French Deputy
                3rd Dam: Speak Halory, by Verbatim
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($150,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-George E.
Hall & SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.; B-K & G Stables (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $535,000.
Lifetime Record: 11-4-1-2, $1,252,500. *1/2 to Seahenge (Scat
Daddy), GSW & G1SP-Eng, SP-Ire, $228,295; Urban Bourbon
(City Zip), GSP, $113,381. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Happy Saver, 126, c, 4, Super Saver–Happy Week, by
Distorted Humor. 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Wertheimer Et Frere
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $185,000.
3–Forza Di Oro, 126, c, 4, Speightstown–Filare l'Oro, by Hard
Spun. ($325,000 RNA Ylg '18 FTSAUG). O-Don Alberto Stable;
B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-William I. Mott. $100,000.
Margins: 4, HF, HF. Odds: 3.80, 2.10, 1.10.
Also Ran: Night Ops, Chess Chief, Forewarned. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

“I was happy with him. Today, he broke good, so I was really happy with it. The trainer is doing all the [work],” said Asmussen's go-to rider Santana.

Overcoming a tendency to start slow in his early outings, Max Player finished fast to take the GIII Withers S. third out last February for then conditioner Linda Rice. He finished well-beaten thirds behind Tiz the Law (Constitution) in both the GI Belmont S. and track-and-trip GI Runhappy Travers S. over that summer, but was transferred to Asmussen ahead of a fifth-place GI Kentucky Derby run. Fifth in the GI Preakness S. in October, he was shelved until the lucrative Saudi Cup Feb. 20, but that long journey proved fruitless as he checked in a distant 11th.

He once again found himself too far back when sixth in the

GIII Pimlico Special S. May 14, but looked like a different horse from start to finish last time when belying 11-1 odds in defeating subsequently sidelined G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) in the July 3 Suburban over a sloppy track.

“I really thought we had a chance with him at Churchill [in the 2020 Kentucky Derby], the way he was training over the track,” Asmussen said. “He lost so much ground early in the race and then fought the dirt from where he was. He didn't even begin to level off until the last eighth of the race and still ended up fifth.

“He likes good spacing between his races. Ricardo has done a tremendous job of putting him into the race, so he can actually perform.

“We went back with him to the gate and started from a hand open, just to leave the gates. Ricardo did a tremendous amount of work with him there and knows the horse really well. It took some riding from Ricardo today in the first three or four jumps but immediately, when he got him going, 50 yards from the gate [I thought] 'you get your chance, I'm glad to see this.'

This has certainly been a meet to remember for Asmussen, who became the all-time winningest trainer in North America last month. He and Santana took both the GI Forego S. and GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. a week ago, and have live chances in both the GI Spinaway S. and GI Hopeful S. during the final two days of the meet.

“It's been a dream meet. It really has,” he said. “With achieving the record here. With the fans coming back. With how it felt. At Saratoga–not only do you have fans–you have educated fans. They're aware of racing. To set the record here and this is the third Grade I win of the meet. It's been a dream meet and it will be beautiful to reflect on, but we have two Grade Is left before we're there.”

As for the beaten favorite, trainer Bill Mott said, “I'm disappointed that he didn't get the 10 furlongs. I just didn't think he had any excuse. We've got to see. There's another race; the [Oct. 2 GI] Woodward could be a possibility [at 1 1/8 miles], I suppose. But it's a little early to commit to anything.”

Pedigree Notes:

Sire Honor Code displayed his own affinity for the Spa, earning 'TDN Rising Star' status for a debut score on the closing Saturday card in 2013 before adding the GI Whitney S. here two years later. He has added a second and third highest-level winner to his CV as a stallion at the stand, having also been responsible for Santana-piloted GI Coaching Club American Oaks upsetter Maracuja. All three of his graded winners have won at the Grade I level, and he has seven stakes winners overall.

Dam Fools in Love was an $80,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling who racked up a sizable bankroll herself on the track, but has proven even more valuable in the breeding shed. The half-sister to MGISW International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus), from the deep family of Halory Hunter, Van Nistelrooy, et al, produced black-type earners with each of her first three foals, including $750,000 KEESEP yearling and Group 2-winning juvenile Seahenge (Scat Daddy). After foaling Max Player, Fools in Love was put in foal to Speightstown and brought $1 million from Cheveley Park Stud at KEENOV '17. She did not produce a foal in 2018, but is responsible for Ulysses (Ire) colts of 2019 and 2021 and a yearling filly by Frankel (GB).

Not For Love is the broodmare sire of four Grade I winners (10 graded and 63 black-type overall), including dual Horse of the Year California Chrome, a fellow A.P. Indy line product who sired his first graded winner on Saturday's card in GII Prioress S. heroine Cilla.

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Pair Of Baffert Trainees Headline Sextet For Del Mar Futurity

Six colts were entered Friday for Monday's 74th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity, the traditional closing day feature of the summer meeting.

Six appears to be an operative number for the seven-furlong extended sprint for 2-year-olds that determines the 2-year-old champion of the meeting. If all leave the starting gate it will be the third time in the last four years, and the fifth in the last seven, that a six-pack comprised the field.

And the 2021 running may have more Hall of Fame trainers, per horse capita, than ever before.

Steve Asmussen, Hall of Fame Class of 2016, has dispatched a representative, American Xperiment, from Saratoga. The son of 2015 Runhappy Futurity winner Nyquist will have had five days to acclimate to Del Mar surroundings leading up to the race after being supplementally entered at a cost of $10,000.

“He got here Tuesday, he arrived in good order and we're hoping he runs well,” said Asmussen assistant Sarah Campion, who travelled with American Xperiment. “He broke his maiden impressively at Saratoga, so Steve decided to send him out.”

In his racing debut on July 30, American Xperiment went wire-to-wire over a muddy track in a race taken off the turf and won over six rivals by 5 ¼ lengths.

Mark Casse, Hall of Fame Class of 2020, has Pappacap, winner of the Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 7 in his second career start and second win.

And Bob Baffert, Hall of Fame Class of 2009 – who has 14 Futurity wins on his resume dating back to 1996 – will send out Murray and Pinehurst.

“They both broke their maidens here and they've both trained well since,” Baffert said.

Murray, a son of Street Sense who was a $300,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland last September, was a romping 10 ½-length winner on July 25. Pinehurst, a son of Twirling Candy acquired for $385,000 at the same sale, overcame bumping at the start for half-length victory at five furlongs on August 1.

The fifth entrant is Finneus, a California-bred son of Stay Thirsty who was a $200,000 purchase last year. He has one win in three starts and was the runner-up to Pappacap in the Best Pal last out. Trainer Walther Solis helped in the development of some of Baffert's earliest Futurity winners while serving as manager for the Golden Eagle Farm of John and Betty Mabee.

The sixth is Olympic Legend, a son of Street Boss owned by Larry Opas and Frank Sinatra and trained by Luis Mendez. Olympic Legend broke his maiden in his second career start on June 27 at Los Alamitos.

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Promising Filly Echo Zulu Tops Sunday’s Spinaway

Winchell Thoroughbreds and L and N Racing's Echo Zulu will attempt to parlay a sensational debut victory into a graded stakes win as she takes on a field of nine 2-year-old fillies assembled for Sunday's 130th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway going seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

The historic event has been won by subsequent Champion 2-Year-Old Females Before Dawn [1981], Family Style [1985], Meadow Star [1990], Flanders [1994], Golden Attraction [1995], Countess Diana [1997] and Vequist [2020]. In its earlier years, the Spinaway was won by Hall of Fame fillies Miss Woodford [1883], Maskette [1908], Top Flight [1930], Cicada [1961], Affectionately [1962], La Prevoyante [1972] and Ruffian [1974].

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu was highly impressive on debut, romping to a 5 ½-length maiden score on July 15 at Saratoga, where she recorded a 92 Beyer Speed Figure – the highest recorded figure for a 2-year-old filly this year.

“The idea was always that she could be a Saratoga 2-year-old,” said Winchell Thoroughbreds racing and bloodstock advisor David Fiske. “She showed some early speed, but for her to win the way she did and to get the number she got, I don't think anyone was expecting that.”

Echo Zulu, bought for $300,000 out of the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the graded stakes winning Menifee mare Letgomyecho. She is a half-sister to L and N Racing's Echo Town, the winner of last year's Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.

A victory would give her leading freshman stallion Gun Runner his first Grade 1 win as a sire. He has already sired two graded stakes winners in his first crop, including Grade 2 Adironack winner Wicked Halo who also is owned by Winchell and trained by Asmussen.

“She came out of Steve's parents' operation in Laredo pretty highly touted,” Fiske said. “We have some pretty big expectations for her. We were grateful that [co-owner Mike] Levinson let us partner up with her. We bought a few other yearlings last year and since he had Echo Town, he asked about her. We looked at her and got her as well.”

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will retain the mount from post 3.

While Echo Zulu attempts to rise to the occasion, Pretty Birdie will seek a second graded stakes triumph for trainer Norm Casse.

The Marylou Whitney Stables-owned daughter of Bird Song has led at every point of call in two starts. After a runaway debut victory on June 18 at Churchill Downs, she captured the Grade 3 Schuylerville on July 15 at Saratoga by two lengths.

Jockey Luis Saez will return aboard Pretty Birdie from post 5.

An impressive 2 ¼-length score on debut at 36-1 odds has given trainer Robertino Diodoro confidence that Dream Lith can step up to Grade 1 company.

The dark bay or brown daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, owned by Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith, broke her maiden on August 8 going 6 ½ furlongs at the Spa. She tracked a close fourth in the clear down the backstretch before making her move in between horses in upper stretch and taking command at the eighth pole.

Despite always having high hopes in Dream Lith, Diodoro said the first-out success was a bit of a surprise.

“We're really excited about her,” Diodoro said. “She wasn't supposed to do what she did that day, not because of ability, we knew she had that. We thought it would take two turns for her to break her maiden. I think even the extra furlong going into the Spinaway is going to help her even more. She's awesome. Sometimes, you see a maiden win first out. Maybe she was more ready than the other horses, but this filly is the real deal.”

Diodoro added that Dream Lith bounced out of her maiden score exceptionally well.

“Some horses that break their maiden first out, you have to ease off. But she just came back like a pro,” Diodoro said. “She's giving us all the signs that she's the real deal.”

Jockey David Cohen retains the mount from post 7.

Tarabi is also seeking a breakthrough victory following an impressive debut maiden win on August 7 at Ellis Park.

In her six-furlong maiden score, the chestnut daughter of First Samurai maintained her inside position down the backstretch, inched her way to the front under no urging and was never in doubt in the stretch, winning by 5 ½ lengths.

Owned by LBD Stable, Manganaro Bloodstock and David Ingordo, Tarabi is out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Bay, making her a full-sister to Shivaji, a Group 3 winner in Japan.

“As an early 2-year-old she was very forward and never had a bad day on the track,” said trainer Cherie DeVaux. “She's very straightforward and mature mentally. She showed a lot of talent in the morning and the plan was always to run her at Ellis and if she ran to our expectations, to give her a shot in the Spinaway.”

Tarabi has breezed twice at Saratoga following her maiden victory.

“She's adjusted really well,” DeVaux said. “She continues to train well. She's grown, matured and progressed physically. She's had one easy work over the track and one where we asked a bit more of her and she handled it really well and got over the track really well. She's come out of it in good shape.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, a two-time Spinaway victor, will ride Tarabi from post 1.

Completing the field are Girl With a Dream [post 2, Florent Geroux], Benbang [post 4, Manny Franco], Saucy Lady T [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Sequist [post 8, Junior Alvarado], Sue Ellen Mishkin [post 9, Jose Ortiz],

The prestigious race is named in honor of George Lorillard's talented chestnut who won seven of her nine starts, including stakes wins at the defunct Jerome Park and Sheepshead Bay Park. Successful in her career as a broodmare, Spinaway was the granddam of Tanya, who won her grandmother's namesake race in 1904 before defeating colts in the Belmont Stakes the following year. Other prominent descendants of Spinaway include multiple champion producing stallion Giant's Causeway, prolific broodmare Hasili and European champion Gleneagles.

The Spinaway is slated as Race 11 on Sunday's 12-race program, which offers a first post of 12:35 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.

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Yaupon To Stand At Spendthrift

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon (Uncle Mo–Modification, by Vindication), who became his sire's ninth Grade I winner with a tenacious victory in the Forego S. at Saratoga Aug. 28, will enter stud at Spendthrift Farm for the 2022 breeding season. The 4-year-old has the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar as his long-term objective before retiring to the stallion barn.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was victorious in his first four career trips to the post, including Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S., clocking 1:08.50 for the six furlongs, and the GIII Chick Lang S. on the Preakness undercard in 2020 which established him as the favorite for last year's Sprint at Keeneland. The athletic dark bay bounced back from a trip to Dubai for the G1 Golden Shaheen in March with a 1 3/4-length success in Pimlico's Lite the Fuse S. July 4 prior to the Forego, his first try over seven furlongs.

At Spendthrift, Yaupon is slated to stand alongside the Heiligbrodts' champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya).

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Bill and Corinne [Heiligbrodt] on their newest Grade I winner, Yaupon,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “Obviously, the last time they won the Forego at Saratoga it was with Mitole, so we are hopeful Yaupon can close out his racing career in similar fashion. Aside from being extremely fast, Yaupon is one of the best-looking sons of Uncle Mo you will find anywhere. When breeders come out to the farm and see a fast Saratoga Grade I winner by Uncle Mo that is as beautiful as he is on the end of a lead shank, we believe we will get a lot of 'yeses'.”

Added Heiligbrodt: “Yaupon is an absolutely stunning physical with an unbelievable pedigree, and he might have been one of the fastest horses we have ever seen at a 2-year-old-in-training sales,” said Bill Heiligbrodt. “Last year, after four straight wins and two graded stakes, we thought he had a very good chance to win the Breeders' Cup, and he ended up being the favorite in the race. But a very rough trip nullified any chance. After his most recent victory in the Forego, we look forward to returning to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. Corinne and I have been racing horses since the 1980s and have been lucky to be represented by a lot of nice horses. Yaupon is our best ever when you combine speed, pedigree and conformation.”

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