Oaklawn opening day: Asmussen colt is early favorite in Advent

A full field of 12, including 2-1 program favorite Valentine Candy, is entered in the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters Friday at 5:14 p.m. EST on opening day at Oaklawn.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will start Valentine Candy and Bye Bye Liam in search of a record-extending 105th career Oaklawn stakes victory. The Advent debuted in 2021 and will be the first stakes race run since Oaklawn renovated its racing surface in the off-season.

Valentine Candy was a gate-to-wire winner of his July 22 debut at Saratoga and exits a third-place finish in the Bowman Mill Stakes Oct. 28 at Keeneland. Bye Bye Liam came from off the pace to break his maiden Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs in his last start. All three races were six furlongs.

Valentine Candy also finished ninth in the seven-furlong Hopeful Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs Sept. 4 at Saratoga.

“On his best day, he’s very fast away from there,” said Asmussen, who trains Valentine Candy for a partnership that includes longtime clients William and Corinne Heiligbrodt. “He had a little bit of traffic early in his last spot. Put him in what I thought was a compromising situation. But on his best day, he’s very fast away from there and then Bye Bye Liam, obviously, is a closing sprinter.”

Supplemental nominee Molly’s Town dominated Indiana-breds in his first four career starts at Horseshoe Indianapolis for owner-trainer Genaro Garcia. Molly’s Town then tested open company and ran fourth in the Ed Brown Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.

Sweet Soddy J won the Timonium Juvenile for trainer Raymond Ginter Jr. Prairie Meadows Freshman winner General Shipman removes blinkers for trainer Casey Schleis. Ellis Park debut winner Market Street cuts back to a sprint after four consecutive poor route efforts for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

“That horse hasn’t been finishing very well,” Lukas said. “I’m either doing a poor job or he’s got me fooled. He hasn’t been finishing, so the 5 1/2 appealed to me.”