Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Super Stock Back On Top In Ellis Park Derby

The $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby appeared to be heavily favored Super Stock's race to lose, given that he was the winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. But that was if he ran to his Arkansas Derby form, rather than his pair of fourth-place finishes in the Texas Derby and Iowa Derby in his last two starts.

For trainer Steve Asmussen, the key was riding Super Stock like Ricardo Santana did in the Arkansas Derby: getting into the race as part of the pace. That happened, and Super Stock hounded the early pace before taking command and drawing off to a 3 3/4-length victory over There Goes Harvard.

Asmussen got be North America's all-time winningest trainer by caring about every race. But Super Stock also holds a special attachment to the trainer. His parents, Keith and Marilyn, own the son of Florida Derby winner Dialed In in partnership with Nashville talent mogul Erv Woolsey, a long-time client.

“He ran a very good race, and it's great to see him back in the winner's circle,” Asmussen said by phone following Super Stock's first victory since the Arkansas Derby, after which he finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby. “Obviously he's a very special horse for the whole family. He makes a lot of people happy when he wins.

“The Lone Star race, the racetrack was absolute sea of water, drawn 13, just was never in the right spot,” he said of the Texas Derby. “And I did not like his trip in Iowa at all, and that was the change in tactics.”

Which was: “To ride him like he did in the Arkansas Derby.”

Ellis Park allowance winner Colonel Bowman broke for the early lead, setting legitimate fractions into the stretch. Super Stock stalked in second place throughout before taking over the lead and pulling away for the clear win over runner-up There Goes Harvard. The final time over the mile and a sixteenth was 1:48.89.

“He broke good, and I was happy when he was in the place I wanted him to be,” said Santana, in from Saratoga to ride Sunday at Ellis Park for Asmussen. “When I was sitting second to that other horse, I knew he would be running hard at the end.”

Jockey Joe Talamo was pleased with runner-up There Goes Harvard's effort.

“We had a really good trip,” he said. “I really thought I had the winner turning for home. Hats off to them (Super Stock and Ricardo Santana). They kept running. But my horse ran a really good race.”

It was another two lengths back to Indiana Derby runner-up Sermononthemount and jockey James Graham. Colonel Bowman tired to fourth in the field of six 3-year-olds.

“He ran good, I thought,” said Graham. “They were just quicker than him early. I was trying to be aggressive. I just wasn't quick enough to hold my spot. He tried to run them down. They went fast the first quarter, backed it up and then went again. I just couldn't get back on terms.”

Super Stock went off as the even-money favorite and paid $4 to win. The colt now has three wins in 12 starts, with two seconds and two thirds, while increasing his career earnings to $957,677.

“He's trying, he's trying,” Asmussen said of Super Stock nearing millionaire status.

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Lesson Horses Presented By John Deere Equine Discount Program: Steve Asmussen On Marsaquilla

You never forget the name of your first lesson horse – that horse who taught you what you need to know to work with every one that follows.

In this series, participants throughout the Thoroughbred industry share the names and stories of the horses that have taught them the most about life, revealing the limitless ways that horses can impact the people around them. Some came early on in their careers and helped them set a course for the rest of their lives, while others brought valuable lessons to veterans of the business.

Question: Which horse has taught you the most about life?

Steve Asmussen: “Coming from a racing family, we talk about horses all the time. The first racehorse that I was allowed to ride, my father put me on at the farm, was a mare called Marsaquilla. I always remember that, especially with my kids starting to get on horses, you think back to when you were at that stage.

“She was just an older mare that had extremely limited success, but she was my first racehorse that I galloped, and I'll always remember how significant that is to me.

“She was a perfect introduction into it. I obviously grew up riding ponies, and then horses, and showed stock horses, but the first racehorse I ever rode was Marsaquilla, and she took good care of me.

“I was probably 10 or 12. Growing up, things were a lot different then, but she would have taken care of an infant. I've been babysat extremely well by animals.”

About Marsaquilla
(1975, m., Marcher x All the Flowers, by Colonel Mack)

Marsaquilla spent four seasons racing in the Southwest and Nebraska, competing against both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

She won on debut as a juvenile at Sunland Park, and her only start where she finished worse than second in eight starts that season was a stakes race at Ak-Sar-Ben.

After making just two starts as a 3-year-old, Marsaquilla returned at four to have her busiest season, racing 16 times and beginning to jump between Thoroughbred-only and mixed competition. In fact, she did her best work running against Quarter Horses that season, posting a pair of wins at 870 yards at Ruidoso Downs. She retired the following year with five wins in 28 starts for earnings of $19,726.

Marsaquilla entered broodmare duty in 1981, and all seven of her foals to race became winners. Among the highlights were stakes winners Draquilla and Sweetfella.

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Sunday Pick 6 At Saratoga Goes Unsolved, Carryover Of $145,196 For Wednesday

The Pick 6 on Wednesday will be bolstered by a $145,196 carryover as the multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The $1 Pick 6 returned $2,104 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.

Sunday's sequence kicked off in Race 5 with Gimmick [No. 3, $26.60] graduating at third asking in a six-furlong maiden special weight for juvenile fillies. Tyler Gaffalione engineered the winning trip for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Write This Down [No. 1, $6.40], the 2-1 mutuel favorite piloted by Manny Franco for trainer Rob Atras, prevailed in Race 6, a 5 ½-furlong Mellon turf sprint for New York-bred maiden claiming fillies 3-years-old and up.

In Race 7, yet another lukewarm favorite, Mira Mission [No. 5, $8.30], got the job done at odds of 3-1 under Jose Lezcano from trainer Tom Bush in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event for sophomores on the inner turf.

Customerexperience [No. 1, 19.40] upset Race 8 under Dylan Davis for trainer Mike Miceli in a seven-furlong claiming sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, ahead of a thrilling finish in the featured $120,000 Galway won by Star Devine [No. 10, $17] in a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies.

With only Sengekontacket [No. 10] covered in the Pick 6 finale in Race 10, Mirabell Mei [No. 5, $10.40] prevailed over Alpha Babe [No. 2] in a 1 1/16-mile claiming event on the inner turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Jose Lezcano piloted the winner for trainer John Terranova.

Wednesday's Pick 6 kicks off in Race 5 at 3:21 p.m. Eastern and includes the $120,000 Bolton Landing in Race 9. First post on the 10-race card is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at http://www.NYRABets.com.

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Ward Sends Overbore, Kaufymaker In Skidmore Friday At Saratoga

After saddling Golden Pal to a superb victory in last year's $120,000 Skidmore, trainer Wesley Ward will vie for more prosperity in the 5 ½-furlong Mellon turf sprint for 2-year-olds, sending out stakes-winner Overbore and impressive maiden winner Kaufymaker in the ninth edition of the race on Friday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Owned by Peter Leidel, Overbore arrives off a two-month layoff after breaking his maiden in the Tremont on June 4 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. He tracked a swift pace from third to capture the 5 ½ furlong event over muddy and sealed going by three-quarters of a length.

The favorite in all three of his starts, Overbore, a dark bay or brown son of Speightstown, will return to turf two starts after finishing second, beaten a nose to Artos in a maiden race over the Churchill Downs turf on May 21.

“We gave him a little break and he's back to doing well,” Ward said. “I wanted to give him a little breather after he fired three races like he did. He's been doing well at Keeneland. We shipped him up to Saratoga and he's settled right in nicely.”

As the lone stakes winner in the Skidmore field, Overbore boasts $108,500 in earnings.

Purchased for $275,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overbore is the first progeny out of the stakes-winning and multiple graded-stakes placed Saffir mare Galina Point.

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 9.

Mr. Gregory Kauffman's Kaufymaker returns stateside following an endeavor across the pond in the Group 2 Coventry on June 15 at Royal Ascot, where she was eighth beaten four lengths.

The chestnut Jimmy Creed filly was outstanding on debut, breaking her maiden by 6 ¼ lengths over a good main track in April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexinton, Ky.

Kaufymaker resumed training at Keeneland before shipping to Saratoga, where she recorded a half-mile work in :48.11 Sunday over the Oklahoma turf course under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“She's doing very well. Ascot was disappointing because I was pretty confident going into that race,” Ward said. “She was really working tremendously on the grass. She had a real nice work this morning over the Oklahoma turf with Johnny V up. She's doing really well and we're looking for a big effort with her.”

Velazquez will return to the irons from post 3.

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Leading trainer Mike Maker sends a formidable contender in Kendall Hansen's Pure Panic, who scored on debut last month in a 5 ½-furlong maiden event over the turf at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. The gray or roan son of Summer Front will look to give Maker his fourth stakes triumph of the meet.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 8.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Bonus Appreciation after a second-out maiden victory in an off-the-turf event on July 11 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. picks up the mount from post 6.

Completing the field are Barone Cesco [post 1, Eric Cancel], Catch the Smoke [post 5, Jose Ortiz], and Baytown Warrior [post 10, Brandon Whitacre].

Averly Jane [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione], Backnthewoods [post 4, Jose Ortiz], and Golden Bell [post 7, John Velazquez] have been entered for main track only.

The Skidmore is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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