Asmussen has great weekend after shaky start

Steve Asmussen lined up a large contingent of runners for the six stakes races run at Prairie Meadows this past Thursday through Saturday, two on each card. His first two starters, Chantelline and Ever So Clever, lost races Thursday night that they were favored to win.

“Thank goodness there were two more days,” Asmussen said Sunday.

Indeed. On Friday, Asmussen won the Iowa Distaff with Danzatrice and the Grade 3, $250,000 Iowa Derby with Hence, and he proceeded to sweep the two Saturday stakes as well, winning the Iowa Sprint with Union Jackson and the Grade 3, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker with Iron Fist.

“We turned it around, I guess,” Asmussen said.

All of the Prairie Meadows runners have returned to Churchill Downs, Asmussen said Sunday, and all appeared to have exited their races in good condition.

Iron Fist, a 5-year-old by Tapit, won the first graded stakes of his career in the Cornhusker, where he sat outside and just behind the pacesetter, and beat runner-up Texas Chrome by two lengths. Iron Fist finally ran back to his career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure, which he’d earned finishing second to Frosted in the 2015 Pennsylvania Derby.

“Ricardo gave him the trip that allows him to be his best,” said Asmussen, referring to jockey Ricardo Santana, who won both Saturday stakes for Asmussen. “When he found the spot he did with that kind of pace, you thought you had a chance.”

Asmussen said no plans had yet been set for Iron Fist, who once campaigned for Stonestreet Thoroughbreds but now is owned by Carrol Castille’s Whispering Oaks Farm.

Hence got a 92 Beyer for his 1 1/2-length win over McCormick on Friday night in the Iowa Derby. Hence rebounded from poor performances in the Preakness and Derby to run a race that probably was even a little better than it looked, considering Hence rallied from last into a moderate pace, and appeared to win comfortably under Mike Smith.

“He came home really well, and Mike never even hit him. He’s got talent – he really does. He’s a good mover, trains really impressively. I felt very good going into this race. I’m not sure what we’re going to do next,” said Asmussen, who trains Hence for Calumet Farm.

Shane’s Girlfried got a 79 Beyer winning Thursday night’s Iowa Oaks by 2 1/4 lengths, and trainer Doug O’Neill said the filly had come out of the race in good shape, had shipped to Kentucky as of Sunday, and would fly back to California in the next couple days. Shane’s Girlfriend is being pointed to the Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar, O’Neill said.