The spoils go to the winner and the winner goes to Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). epicenter His reward for a dominant performance was a comfortable morning in his stable on August 28th Saratoga Race Track.
“He’s doing really well and we’re wonderfully cheerful this morning,” trainer Steve Asmussen said of the Winchell Thoroughbreds colt.
Entered August 27th Travers, the son of Not this time stood at the top of the 3-year-old men's class with three wins and Grade 2 runner-up finishes in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Preakness Stakes (G1) headlines on his resume. Now with a 5 1/4 length victory over multiple Grade 1 winners Cyberknife In addition to the accolades, it's demanding to imagine anyone beating him out to win the department's Eclipse Award.
“This horse has been solid all year and (the Travers) delivered the breakout performance he needed and he did it emphatically,” Asmussen said. “He put everything together on a massive stage.”
The Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) is just 10 weeks away and will take place on November 5th Keenelandit might be time for another start before the World Championships in Kentucky. But after Epicenter's impressive win in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) on July 30 after a 10-week break from the Preakness, it's likely he won't race again until he faces his elders in the Classic for the first time .
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“It’s very doable,” Asmussen said of training leading up to the Classic. “We’ll talk to (owner Ron Winchell) and (racing director David Fiske) and watch him return to the track and see how he goes. How well he ran in the Jim Dandy after the break gives us a lot of confidence to train him up to the classic.”
While the son of Candy ride Westwind Farms-bred mare Quiet Candy may not race again until November. The good news for racing fans is that Winchell said earlier this week he has no plans to retire Epicenter at the end of the year and intends to race him as a four-year-old if he stays robust.
“We have made many calls to Epicenter but I am not doing anything. My first reaction was, if he continues to perform at the top level, we will utilize him next year and then worry about breeding.” . This is my standard operation Gun Runner at the end of his 3 year campaign and we have no plans to do it with this guy. I hope he has a massive 4-year-old season, just like Gun Runner,” said Winchell, who promoted Gun Runner into his 5-year-old season with Asmussen.
“Pretty stern” tongue injury for Clairiere
Although Epicenter gave Asmussen his first Travers win, there were also some disappointments for the Hall of Famer with both on Saturday Clairiere And Jackie's Warrior As the betting favorite, he suffered defeats in Class 1 stakes.
Asmussen said Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere finished last in the five-horse Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) and sustained a “pretty significant” cut on her tongue after hitting the front of the starting gate. The filly was restless in the gate and trailed throughout after the incident, finishing 9 1/2 lengths behind the winner Malathate whom she defeated in their last two meetings.
“We will treat (the tongue) and heal it before she resumes normal training, but otherwise she is in good physical condition,” Asmussen said.
The injury could impact the multiple Grade 1 winner's feeding, so Asmussen could not speculate on when the home-bred dog will be Lure The 4-year-old would return to the races.
Jackie's Warriors at Saratoga Race Course
As for J. Kirk and Judy Robison's “Jackie's Warrior,” Asmussen said it was simply overtaken by Godolphins Cody's wish while he finished second in the Forego Stakes (G1) at odds of about 1-9, losing at Saratoga for the first time in six starts.
“He came out of the race very physically well,” said Asmussen about the son of von., who won multiple times in Class 1 Maclean's music . “Sometimes you have no control over how speedy other people are running.”
Asmussen said the sprint champion's next and final race before beginning his stallion career at Spendthrift Farm will be the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), also on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, where he will try to make up for his sixth-place finish Cross the finish line as double favorite in the 2021 edition.
“Life is Good” is nearing its start in Woodward
The upcoming Belmont at the Gigantic A meet could present a fresh challenge for Fresh York racing fans, but in the end it could produce the highest-ranked runner in the country.
Life Is Good wins the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga
Trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday he was “leaning” toward keeping the multiple Grade 1 winner Life is good in Fresh York and ran him in the two-lap, 1 1/8-mile $500,000 Woodward Stakes (G1) on October 1 Aqueduct race track as final preparation for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
The son of Into disaster ranked No. 1 in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association top 10 poll, completed four furlongs in :50 at Saratoga Race Track August 26 for owners CHC and WinStar Farm.
“Life Is Good is doing great. He had a good breeze on Friday,” Pletcher said. “We haven’t decided for sure yet, but we’re leaning towards Woodward.”
Other options for the $4 million earner were mentioned as Lukas Classic (G2) worth $500,000 on October 1st Churchill Downs or training until the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on November 5th at Keeneland.
Bred by Gary and Mary West out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, Life Is Good has a win in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 6 as well as victories in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational presented by 1/ST Stakes BET (G1) and the Gigantic Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Coach is proud of Opulent Strike's Travers performance
Opulent Strike at Saratoga
Early Sunday afternoon, coach Eric Reed was on the road, somewhere near Columbus, Ohio. He was on his way home to Lexington with his assistant Sid Scott, a day after their three-year-old stallion Opulent Strike ran a valiant race in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, finishing fourth.
With a bit of luck he would have come second. He was beaten by Cyberknife and less than a length Zandon as the three horses battled for the place behind runaway Travers winner Epicenter.
“He ran great,” Reed said by phone. “I didn't think we would beat Epicenter, but I really think we were the second best horse “quarter pole and he came back. You don’t see many horses lose ground on the track and then come back like he did.”
Opulent Strike, a son of Keen Ice owned by RED TR-Racing, shocked the racing world when he won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at odds of 80-1 on the first Saturday in May. He returned to earth five weeks later when he finished sixth in the eight-horse Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1) on June 11.
“I had to live for 10 weeks hoping to give him the credibility he deserved,” Reed said. “I think he should have gotten that Saturday.
Opulent Strike was scheduled to leave Saratoga later Sunday and take the van back to Lexington. Reed said there is no firm indication of Opulent Strike's schedule for future races.
“We’re taking him home and trying to figure something out,” Reed said. “He’s getting better and better and we want to utilize him as a 4-year-old.”
While Reed said the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 5 at Keeneland was an option, he wouldn't come close to committing to it. He also mentioned the $750,000 Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs on November 25 as an option.
“We’ll have to look and see how we want to move forward with him,” Reed said. “Racing is always an option until it’s not. We believe he will get better and be a good four-year-old. We really believe he has a great future. It would be wonderful if we could go back to Saratoga next year and run at the Whitney!”
Zito is cheerful to represent Mattress Mack
Coach Nick Zito
Hall of Fame coach Nick Zito was asked to do a favor for Texas businessman Jim McIngvale, better known as “Mattress Mack.” Zito was among the winners Saratoga Race Track represented McIngvale after Saturday's $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) to present the trophy to the winner's connections, Winchell Thoroughbreds. epicenter.
McIngvale belonged Content running during his racing career.
“It was an honor for me,” said Zito. “Mattress Mack loves Saratoga tradition and is well respected.”
Zito was also part of the 2021 Travers victory celebration when Fresh York State Governor Kathy Hochul presented the trophy to the fraternity Indispensable quality .
According to Zito, Epicenter is one of McIngvale's favorite horses.
“I bought him his first horse many years ago,” Zito said. “He told me it was a shame that Epicenter couldn’t win the (Kentucky) Derby because he bet $4 million on the win.”
When asked if Mattress Mack had bet Epicenter in the Travers, Zito smiled.
“I’m sure he did,” he said.
