Home » Steve Asmussen
$600K Quality Road Colt Debuts at Tampa
8th-TAM, $31K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:22 p.m. WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and Siena Farm's SHINNECOCK HILLS (Quality Road) debuts for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of Princess Aspen (Birdstone), the colt realized $600,000 at the Keeneland November sale in 2019. Getting first time Lasix while stretching out, Giant's Fire (Gun Runner) finished third in his career debut going six panels here Dec. 23. Trained by John Terranova II, the chestnut was a $510,000 KEEESEP buy for Robert Baker and William Mack. TJCIS PPs 6th-TAM, $31K, Msw, 3yo, 1m...
Do 2021 Handle Figures Tell the Whole Story?
The Week in Review, by Bill Finley The announcement from Equibase that handle on U.S. racing in 2021 set a nine-year high with over $12 billion bet was understandably well received. During a year where an awful lot went wrong for the sport, at least the wagering numbers were healthy. But, and sorry to rain on the parade, we need more information before we can celebrate. How much was bet is only part of the story. We need to know where the bets were made and by whom. If the...
Rosario Set to Join Oaklawn Jockey Colony Friday
The favorite to land an Eclipse Award as the country's outstanding jockey of 2021 will begin his 2022 push at Oaklawn. Joel Rosario is named on seven horses Friday, which will mark his first day as a regular in Hot Springs and first action since suffering a hairline fracture of a rib when he was unseated shortly after the finish of a Dec. 2 race at Aqueduct. Rosario ($32,944,478) was eyeing a single-season North American record for purse earnings before the injury. Now healthy, Rosario's return to the saddle will...
FanDuel Moment of the Year Voting Open
Eleven significant events from the last 12 months of Thoroughbred racing in North America are up for the 2021 FanDuel Racing NTRA Moment of the Year, a distinction determined by fan voting and recognized at the Eclipse Awards. Voting is now open on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) website, NTRA.com, and via Twitter, where every retweet or use of the official hashtag for the moments as presented on the @NTRA account will be counted as one vote. Votes for the poll must be submitted by Feb. 2 at 11:59...
Asmussen Wins 17th Remington Title
Steve Asmussen captured his 17th Remington Park training title--and sixth in a row--while Danny Caldwell won the owner's title for the second consecutive time and 12th time overall when the Oklahoma track concluded its season last Friday. "I'm obviously very blessed to have had all the opportunities I've had a Remington Park and I'm very thankful," Asmussen said. "Pablo [Ocampo] has been with me to handle all the horses and he deserves a lot of the credit." Caldwell is Remington Park's all-time winningest owner. "I'm proud to say this is...
Dec. 10 Insights: Nashville Returns at Oaklawn
8th-OP, $102K, Alw/Opt. Clm ($80K), 3yo/up, 5 1/2f, 4:46 p.m. ET Nearly a year after suffering his first defeat in last winter's GI Runhappy Malibu S., China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's NASHVILLE (Speightstown) will return to the races as a likely prohibitive favorite in this sprint at Oaklawn. Starting his career with a devastating 11 1/2-length romp as a 3-10 favorite in the Saratoga slop last September--easily good enough for 'TDN Rising Star' honors--the $460,000 Keeneland September proved that was no fluke with an effortless 9 3/4-length allowance score...
'Rising Star' Beau Liam to Airdrie
Stonestreet Stables LLC's `TDN Rising Star' Beau Liam (Liam's Map--Belle of Perintown, by Dehere) has been retired from racing and will stand the upcoming breeding season at Brereton and Elizabeth Jones's Airdrie Stud as a partnership between Stonestreet, Spendthrift Farm and Airdrie. Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Beau Liam won his first three starts this season. Beau Liam will stand his first season for a fee of $6,000 stands and nurses. Named a TDN Rising Star following his 7 1/2-length debut at Churchill Downs, Beau Liam's six-furlong...
Gun Runner Breaks Freshman Progeny Earnings Mark
Three Chimneys' Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) set a new record for progeny earnings for a first-crop sire when his total moved past the $3.8-million mark Sunday. Coolmore's Uncle Mo held the previous record of $3,717,490, which he established in 2015. Prior to Uncle Mo, the first-crop progeny earnings record had been held by Gainesway's Tapit, who set the mark in 2008. Gun Runner took over the record earnings figure when the Tom Amoss-trained Shotgun Hottie won a $92,000 maiden special weight at Churchill Downs Sunday, becoming the stallion's 22nd...
The Week in Review: Pink Lloyd Reminds Us How Special the Thoroughbred Is
With the Medina Spirit (Protonico) positive, the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf debacle, the on-going saga of Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis and the rest and the closing of Arlington Park, it's been another tough year for horse racing. This game sure can get you down at times. But we will always have the horse. These beautiful, athletic, noble, graceful animals, they always find a way to make you feel good about the sport. Which is why so many people were smiling and cheering Saturday at Woodbine as Pink Lloyd (Old...
Sunday's Insights: Pricey Arrogate Colt Debuts at Del Mar
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency GUN RUNNER FILLIES DEBUT AT CHURCHILL 7th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:57 p.m. Freshman sire Gun Runner is represented by a pair of debuting fillies in this six-furlong affair. Richard Baltas saddles PEACE PEDDLER (GUN RUNNER), a $200,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, for Calvin Nguyen. The bay filly is a daughter of Canadian champion Embur's Song (Unbridled's Song). Steve Asmussen sends out Stonestreet homebred Ari Oakley (Gun Runner), a daughter of Belle of Perintown (Dehere) and half-sister to graded winner Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song) and...
Well-bred Medaglia d'Oro Filly Sharp on Debut
7th-Churchill Downs, $119,047, Msw, 11-20, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.44, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. LA CRETE (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro--Cavorting {MGISW, $2,063,000}, by Bernardini), a half-sister to Clairiere (Curlin), GISW, $1,290,992, took care of business impressively on debut going a tough, two-turn distance of 1 1/16 miles here. Facing only seven rivals, the 8-5 favorite caught a flyer beneath Joel Rosario and shot out to the front. The Stonestreet homebred showed the way while uncontested through fractions of :23.53 and :47.84. She let it out a notch rounding the far...
Saturday Insights: Promising Maidens on Display at Aqueduct, Churchill and Del Mar
1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, post time: 11:50 a.m. ET Stone Farm homebred WAR FIGHTER (War Front), a full-brother to European champion 2-year-old and young Coolmore sire Air Force Blue, kicks off his career over the Aqueduct lawn for Graham Motion. The dark bay posted a pair of bullets at Fair Hill for this, including a four-furlong spin in :48 (1/6) over the all-weather Nov. 15. Chatham (Maria's Mon)'s 2020 War Front colt brought $1 million from Lynnhaven Racing at this year's Keeneland September Sale. TJCIS PPs 5th-AQU, $80k, Msw,...