Asmussen can end strong season on a high note in Springboard Mile

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will be going for a sweep of the 2-year-old series at Remington Park on Sunday when he sends out five of the 11 horses in the $400,000 Springboard Mile, including possible favorite Bankit.

The Springboard Mile is both a points race for the Kentucky Derby – the first four finishers collect on a scale of 10-4-2-1 – and the centerpiece of a closing-day card. The program boasts six stakes worth a total of $815,000, including the Springboard’s counterpart for fillies, the Trapeze. There’s an all-stakes pick four on races 9-12 which will have a minimum guaranteed pool of $100,000. First post is 3 p.m. Central.

Asmussen’s numbers in the Springboard are not only evidence of the young talent in his barn, but also of a shift in the racing program at Remington. There are five races for 2-year-olds on the Sunday card alone.

“I think the 2-year-old program has gotten stronger at Remington because of races like the Springboard Mile and Trapeze,” Asmussen said. “There is an endgame, significant races to target or participate in.”

Asmussen through Thursday had won 25 juvenile races at the meet, including its first 2-year-old stakes, the Kip Deville, with B.B. Dude, who runs on the undercard Sunday.

Bankit, the winner of the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow at Belmont Park, will be joined in the Springboard gate by stablemates Long Range Toddy, winner of the local prep, the $100,000 Clever Trevor; Tobacco Road, winner of the $75,000 Ellis Park Juvenile; and meet winners Tone Broke and Kaziranga.

Their rivals include Epic Dreamer, a maiden special weight winner at Belmont; Dunph, who captured the $150,000 Spendthrift Farm Juvenile Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs; Marquee Prince and Six Shooter, recent allowance winners in Kentucky; and D Toz, who defeated statebreds in the $75,000 Don McNeill at Remington.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Bankit, by Central Banker
Last 3 Beyers: 78-56-78

◗ The New York-bred won his maiden going wire to wire in July at Saratoga, then picked up his second victory a few starts later in the Sleepy Hollow. He closed from eighth for a 5 3/4-length win in the one-turn mile stakes for statebreds on Oct. 20 at Belmont.

“The Sleepy Hollow, at a mile from off the pace, was his best race,” Asmussen said. “This race looks like it has plenty of speed in it. Hopefully, he’ll work out a good trip.

“He’s a very talented 2-year-old.”

◗ Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount from post 8 for owners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing. Asmussen and Santana won five stakes together on Sept. 30 at Remington.

Epic Dreamer, by Orb
Beyers: 83-81

◗ He started his career closing for second to eventual Grade 3 winner Vekoma in a maiden special weight at six furlongs Sept. 23 at Belmont. Epic Dreamer then wired his rivals over 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 26.

“That first race that was kind of quick – they went in 1:08 and 4 – and he was extremely sharp coming out of the gate for his second race,” said trainer Kelly Breen. “He got himself on the lead. I don’t think he necessarily needs the lead.”

◗ Epic Dreamer, who breaks from the rail under Javier Castellano, owns the field’s best Beyer Speed Figures. He’s worked at Remington – going a bullet half-mile in 47.20 seconds Dec. 7 – and appears up for a fight Sunday.

“He has a lot of personality – in a very competitive way,” Breen said. “He’s an ear-pinning back, digging-in kind of racehorse.”

Marquee Prince, by Cairo Prince
Last 3 Beyers: 74-71-61

◗ He is moving back to two turns after closing for fifth in the Street Sense on Nov. 2 at Churchill. Marquee Prince is 2 for 3 at two turns, including a wire job at a mile on the grass Sept. 30 at Churchill.

“I think he likes the front,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He won on the front end when he broke his maiden and he won on the lead on the turf. Going back to two turns, I think he’ll be a little more in the race than he was last time. We’ll see how it unfolds.”

◗ Cox said placement in the race will be left to jockey Florent Geroux.

Long Range Toddy, by Take Charge Indy
Last 3 Beyers: 77-63-49

◗ He won a maiden special weight in his two-turn debut Sept. 28 at Remington, then cut back to seven furlongs and won the Clever Trevor by a length.

“I feel pretty good about how he’s run at Remington,” Asmussen said. “He’s come on nicely and I think he deserves this opportunity off his last two races.”

Tone Broke, by Broken Vow
Last 3 Beyers: 71-62-56

◗ He won a maiden special weight by 15 1/4 lengths Sept. 26 at Remington and backed up the score with an allowance win Nov. 23.

“He’s a horse that’s had success at Remington and deserved this opportunity,” Asmussen said. “Physically, he’s a large horse, and it’s kind of been a surprise he’s shown this much so soon.”

Kaziranga, by Candy Ride
Last 3 Beyers: 68-72-55

◗ He was a maiden winner Oct. 31 at Remington.

“He’s a good-pedigreed colt from Calumet,” Asmussen said of the homebred out of the Grade 2-winning mare Teammate.