Fair Grounds news: Asmussen charts course for Kentucky Derby hopefuls

This week, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen discussed plans for a trio of his 3-year-olds that competed in recent 2018 Kentucky Derby preps.

In the Gr. II Risen Star Stakes, Asmussen saddled Snapper Sinclair and Principe Guilherme who went on to finish a respective second and seventh.

Owned by Bloom Racing Stable LLC, Snapper Sinclair set a methodical pace in the Risen Star, but was nosed out by Bravazo in the final strides of the event. The son of City Zip will train up to the Gr. II Louisiana Derby on Mar. 24, while no set plans have yet been made for Principe Guilherme. 

“We’re going to reevaluate with Guilherme. We’re disappointed with his race,” Asmussen said. “Snapper came out of it in good shape and will train up to the Louisiana Derby.”

In addition to a runner-up effort in the Risen Star, Snapper Sinclair was third in the Gr. III Lecomte back in January. With his pair of on-the-board efforts in the Fair Grounds’ local Derby preps, he currently sits at No. 4 on the Leaderboard with 22 points. Meanwhile, Principe Guilherme has acquired four points with his runner-up effort in the Gr. III Lecomte.

On Monday afternoon, Asmussen saddled a trio of runners in the Gr. III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, one of which was L and N Racing’s Retirement Fund who got his career off started on a good note with a pair of victories over the Fair Grounds main track, but could do no better than seventh over the Hot Springs oval.

“I will probably return Retirement Fund here to run (in the Louisiana Derby) with him being two-for-two here,” Asmussen said.

WALSH LOOKS AHEAD WITH ALLOWANCE WINNER DARK TEMPLAR

Newtown Anner Stud’s Dark Templar had finished behind Derby hopefuls Retirement Fund and Principe Guilherme in some of his prior efforts, but defeated winners in an allowance event for 3-year-olds on Monday afternoon under the guidance of jockey Florent Geroux. 

“We’ve worked hard on him mentally,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “The boys have done a good job on him just to get him to relax and he was nice (Monday). He was happy out in front and he was lobbing away. (Florent Geroux) said he never had to get that serious with him until the very last eighth or sixteenth of a mile when he turned his stick over. It’s a learning process with him and he’s responding so I think he’ll have a good year.”

Walsh discussed the possibility of running Dark Templar in the Gr. II $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (100-40-20-10) on Mar. 24.

“It might be (a possibility),” Walsh said. “We’ll see how he comes out of this and talk to the owners.”