Shoplifted's Remington rebound up to 'conviction and confidence'

When the Into Mischief colt that went on to be known as Shoplifted hammered for $525,000 as a yearling, Cheyenne Stables’ Everett Dobson lost out as the underbidder. But when Shoplifted walked back into the ring last March as a 2-year-old, Dobson wasn’t about to be denied again.

This time, it took $800,000 for him, Grandview Equine and LNJ Foxwoods to secure their prospect.

“He went from being a well-conformed, athletic-looking colt to, at the 2-year-old sale, looking more like an older horse,” Dobson said.

Shoplifted started running like one as well on Sunday evening when he put in a late bid to win the $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile, a 2020 Kentucky Derby points qualifier.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Shoplifted had disappointed in two west coast starts, finishing fifth in Santa Anita’s American Pharoah Stakes (G1) before a failed run at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Going back to the summer, however, he flashed obvious talent while winning on debut July 27 at Saratoga before earning a placing in the Hopeful Stakes (G1).

“It was pretty unconventional after two pretty poor efforts to run him back in a $400,000 Kentucky Derby prep race,” Dobson said. “But Steve had the conviction and confidence. I give him a lot of credit for reading this right.

“…Steve’s been high on this horse since back in the early days of training at Saratoga. I would guess we’re going to be on the regular progression of 3-year-old stakes races.”

Dobson and the Hall of Famer Asmussen had yet to discuss what might be in Shoplifted’s immediate future. Given restrictions on horses shipping out of Remington Park due to recent cases of equine herpesvirus, it could be a month or more before he leaves Oklahoma City.

Remington finished its season Sunday evening with the Springboard Mile, which awarded 10 Derby qualifying points to Shoplifted.

“We’ll play that by ear and see how it develops,” Dobson said. “He’s in a nice, safe place right now, so we’re not too worried about it.”

Overall, the Springboard Mile improved Shoplifted to 2-1-0 in his five starts. Dobson points to a slow break in the Hopeful as the culprit in that seven-furlong test on closing day at Saratoga. Some of the same qualities that made the colt a must-buy at auction may have also held him back at Santa Anita in other defeats.

“In California, he just didn’t get over the track at all,” Dobson said. “He’s a big-bodied horse. The deep surface out there was just not to his liking.”

Back around two turns in the Springboard Mile, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. settled Shoplifted in sixth, guiding him to a clear trip on the outside. He responded in the lane, grinding out a head victory outside of favored Answer In, who was along the rail, with Embolden tiring late between them.

Last year, Asmussen won the Springboard Mile with Long Range Toddy. That colt went on to take a division of the Rebel Stakes (G2) and run on the first Saturday in May.

Dobson said Derby fever hasn’t set in with him and his partners. That’s given Shoplifted’s bottom side breeding — “there’s a lot of speed influence in the horse” — and owners’ experience

LNJ Foxwoods is a partner in Country House, who won a Derby earlier this year,” and Robert Clay represents Grandview as the other partner,” Dobson said. “He’s been in the business only 40-plus years — 50 years, probably — so we’re not afflicted by it right now.

“If it gets closer, maybe.”