Perfect Shot gives Asmussen another Houston Ladies Classic
In unlikely fashion, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen scored his fifth consecutive triumph in the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic on Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park.
Perfect Shot (11-1), the longest shot in the field of seven older fillies and mares, finished her rally from sixth place to pull off the upset by a half-length on the muddy, sealed main track.
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Erik Asmussen, the trainer’s son, rode 5-year-old Perfect Shot between horses in the second turn of the 1 1/16-mile race. Racing four wide down the homestretch, the Gun Runner mare owned by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm finally took the lead from pacesetter Standoutsensation (4-1) with only five strides to spare.
Standoutsensation, ridden by Mirco Demuro for trainer Tom Amoss, finished second. Yes It Tiz (6-1) was third, Too Much Kiki (6-1) fourth, favorite La Cara (9-5) a weakening fifth, Queen Azteca (9-2) sixth and Take Charge Milady (7-2) last. Moonlight Gambler was scratched.
The winning time was 1:46.09 after early splits of 23.77, 48.03, 1:12.64 and 1:39.10. Perfect Shot paid $24.00, $16.60 and $4.20; Standoutsensation $4.60 and $3.60; and Yes It Tiz $4.40.
Bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm, Perfect Shot was a $285,000 purchase at the August 2022 Fasig-Tipton sale. She broke her maiden on third asking as a 2-year-old at Churchill Downs in November 2023. She went on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) trail in 2024, finishing second in the Silverbulletday and third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) before spending nine months on Steve Asmussen’s bench.
After six consecutive losses followed, Perfect Shot won a pair of allowance races during the summer. Last month she finished fifth in the She’s All In Handicap at Remington Park.
With Saturday’s win worth $176,400, Perfect Shot raised her record to 15: 4-4-3 and her career earnings to $559,534.
Steve Asmussen has trained a record seven wins in the Houston Ladies Classic. He also won with Midnight Bisou in 2019, Lady Apple in 2020, Pauline’s Pearl in 2022 and 2023, Bellamore in 2024 and Recharge in 2025.
This was Erik Asmussen’s first victory in the race.