Arkansas Online

Gunite, Asmussen roll in King Cotton

— Bob Wisener

HOT SPRINGS — Anywhere he looked Saturday at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, Steve Asmussen found reasons to celebrate a Hall of Fame career.

Winning the second race with Payne, ridden by son Keith led to further glory for the 57-yearold trainer. A second win on the card, with 4-year-old Gunite and his third in the $150,000 King Cotton gave rise to believe that he might surpass Robertino Diodoro for a 13th Oaklawn championship, breaking his own record.

Gunite, in his first race since running fourth in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, improved to seven wins in 15 starts.

With champions Epicenter and Jackie’s Warrior no longer active, Asmussen is looking for reinforcements, though coming off a season that he was an Eclipse Award finalist. Meanwhile, despite a sleepy Oaklawn beginning, he is pressing on to a record 10,000 training victories, long since going past North American career leader Dale Baird.

Dubai, where his winners include Curlin, has been good to Asmussen, who may be pointing Gunite in that direction after Saturday’s refresher course. Winning by four lengths after putting away five-time Oaklawn winner Gar Hole, himself a local stakes hero and ridden by John Velazquez, in upper stretch, Gunite zipped six furlongs in 1:08.89 over a course downgraded from wet fast to sloppy.

Last-out Oaklawn winner Tejano Twist was second by 1 3/4 lengths for trainer Chris Hartman and Miles Ahead third by one length for local visitor Paul McGee. Gar Hole, giving way quickly when headed by Gunite, edged last-out Ring the Bell winner Flash of Mischief, unable to prevail a second time in the Oaklawn slop.

Asmussen scored his 99th Oaklawn stakes victory, No. 98 coming with retired champion Jackie’s Warrior in last year’s Grade III Count Fleet Sprint Handicap and previously in the King Cotton with Share the Upside and Boldor in this decade.

Horse Racing

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2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

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