Asmussen Seeks Third Straight Springboard Mile

A field of eleven line up in Friday’s $200,000 Remington Springboard Mile. (Photo credit: Remington Park).

Trainer Steve Asmussen seeks his third consecutive win in the $200,000 Remington Springboard Mile on Friday night at Remington Park.

Asmussen will saddle a pair of runners, Cowan (4-1) who is coming off a runner up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) and Saffa’s Day, a maiden winner in his debut who ran a disappointing sixth in the Nyquist in his last outing at Keeneland.

The Springboard Mile is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race, with 10-4-2-1 points up for grabs toward entry into the Run for the Roses.

Asmussen won this race last year with Shoplifted and in 2018 with Long Range Toddy.

Among the foes standing in his way for the hat trick include Outadore (3-1), who was third in the Breeders’ Cup juvenile Turf (G1) for trainer Wesley Ward and the Brad Cox trained Joe Frazier (5-1) who was third versus Alw-2L company in his first start against winners.

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The race is the 12^th on a 13-race card at Remington Park on Friday that gets underway at 5:00 CT. There are five supporting stakes on the card including the $75,000 She’s All In and the $70,000 Jim Thorpe.

Cowan Runs Second in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint

Let’s head out to Remington Park for Friday’s featured race of the day:

Remington Park Race 12 The Remington Springboard Mile 10:28 CT

8 Cowan 4-1

9 Outadore 3-1

10 Joe Frazier 5-1

11 Flash of Mischief 15-1

Cowan

One of two in here sent out by Asmussen, this colt returns to the main track after making a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Keeneland over good ground last out. The colt graduated on the main track at Churchill Downs in his debut going 4 ½ furlongs and has come up short in four stakes tires with a third and a couple of seconds. He has enough pedigree to handle his first trip around two turns. He is by Kantharos out of a stakes placed Smart Strike mare. The barn is 20% winners moving runners from sprint to route. There is plenty of early speed signed up to go here and this guy has shown an ability to make up ground. The colt gives Asmussen a good shot of winning this race for the third year in a row.

Outadore

This colt also made his last start in the Breeders’ Cup, setting the early fractions and weakening to finish third in the Juvenile Turf (G1), beaten 3 ¼ lengths. The Ward trainee won his first two starts including the Juvenile at Kentucky Downs on soft ground in his second career start. He returns with Lasix added and the blinkers subtracted. He is bred to handle his first trip on dirt. He is by Outwork out of the stakes winner Adore You ($276,240) who has dropped three other winners including stakes winner Piedi Bianchi ($581,797). The colt put in a quick work on the main track at Keeneland on Dec. 11. Ward is 29% winners moving runners from turf to dirt.

Joe Frazier

This colt was a good looking maiden winner in his debut at Keeneland going six furlongs, then set the early fractions and weakened to finish third in the slop at Churchill Downs against Alw-2L foes in his first trip against winners. He returns with lasix added for the Cox barn. The colt has worked well since his last outing and now catches a fast main track for the first time He looks as if he still has some upside and is in a very capable barn. The colt is out of the stakes winner Third Dawn ($286,314) who has dropped four other winners.