Asmussen enters trio in Cleveor Trevor, Springboard Mile prep
Remington Park's $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes drew a field of eight 2-year-olds to be featured Friday going seven furlongs in a prep for the $400,000 Springboard Mile.
Named after the great Oklahoma-bred who won the inaugural Oklahoma Derby (then Remington Park Derby) in 1989, the Clever Trevor Stakes is the last local, open-company, stakes for 2-year-olds prior to Dec. 16 Springboard Mile.
Steve Asmussen, leading the Remington Park training standings with 51 wins as he aims to extend his local record with a 14th seasonal title, entered three in the Clever Trevor including stakes winners Cajun Firecracker and Tobacco Road, along with Long Range Toddy.
Cajun Firecracker, a 2-year-old colt by Cajun Breeze, out of the Way West mare Clara Bow, won his career debut at Gulfstream Park in April. Owners William and Corinne Heiligbrodt of Houston gave him some time off after his first race and then entered him in his first stakes, the $100,000 Florida Sires Stakes, the Dr. Fager Division on Aug. 4. He was undefeated after two starts, winning by a neck, at 7-1 odds.
Cajun Firecracker was then third in his next start, the $200,000 Florida Stallion Stakes, Affirmed Division, at seven furlongs on Sept. 1 before faltering in the $400,000 Florida Stallion Stakes, In Reality Division on Sept. 29 when he was seventh and beaten 27 lengths in that 1 1/16 miles test.
The top earner in the Clever Trevor Stakes with $125,000 made, Cajun Firecracker breezed an easy three-furlongs on Monday at Remington Park in :37.61 over a fast track. Jockey Ramon Vazquez will have the mount on Friday night. Cajun Firecracker has been made the morning-line favorite for the race at 8-5 odds.
Tobacco Road won the $75,000 Ellis Park Juvenile for Tulsa, Okla.-based owners L and N Racing on Aug. 18, before testing graded-stakes company, twice. He finished fourth in the Grade 3, $150,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 15 before finishing a distant ninth in the Grade 1, $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 6. In that attempt, Tobacco Road was behind many who will start in the Grade 1, $2,000,000 Sentient Jets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Friday afternoon, including winner Knicks Go, runner-up Signalman and third-place Standard Deviation.
Leading jockey David Cabrera has the call on Tobacco Road, a colt by Quality Road from the Lomitas mare Isobel Baillie. He worked a half mile on Monday at Remington Park in :50.32, handily. Tobacco Road is second in the morning line at 2-1 odds.
Long Range Toddy broke his maiden at Remington Park, in his second career start, on Sept. 28. He completes the trio from the Asmussen barn in the Clever Trevor Stakes and will be ridden by Richard Eramia. Owned by Willis Horton Racing of Marshall, Ark., Long Range Toddy is a colt by Take Charge Indy from the Unbridled’s Song mare Pleasant Song.
Cajun Firecracker and Tobacco Road each have two victories to their credit, the most in the field for the Clever Trevor Stakes. Tobacco Road has the most starts in the race with five prior attempts.
The field for the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes, by post position and program order, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:
1. Lullaby Bling: Danele Durham, Iram Diego, 10-1
2. Attentive: Boyd Caster, Eddie Martin, Jr., 30-1
3. I’m A G Six: Tim Padilla, Jareth Loveberry, 10-1
4. Cajun Firecracker: Steve Asmussen, Ramon Vazquez, 8-5
5. Tobacco Road: Steve Asmussen, David Cabrera, 2-1
6. Long Range Toddy: Steve Asmussen, Richard Eramia, 10-1
7. Mucho Dinero: Bret Calhoun, Lindey Wade, 8-1
8. Keesawah: Don Von Hemel, Ken Tohill, 15-1
The Clever Trevor Stakes is the seventh of nine on Friday night at Remington Park with an approximate post time of 9:52 p.m. CT.