Asmussen has slew of 3-year-olds ready for stakes

It’s early, of course, but the Triple Crown trailhead has a whole slew of Steve Asmussen-trained 3-year-olds geared up and ready to start the trek, and Asmussen this week furthered the process of sorting out their respective journeys.

Principe Guilherme and Snapper Sinclair, the two-three finishers Jan. 13 in the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds, both worked five furlongs Monday at Fair Grounds and will start Feb. 17 in the Risen Star Stakes there, Asmussen said.

The Lecomte fourth-place finisher, Zing Zang, has been shipped along with Retirement Fund to start in the Southwest Stakes on Feb. 19 at Oaklawn Park, joining a third Asmussen-trained colt, Smarty Jones Stakes runner-up Combatant. Zing Zang, a massive colt who wants distance, won a maiden race at Fair Grounds before making a sustained late run in the Lecomte. Retirement Fund, an Eskendereya colt, debuted in a two-turn Fair Grounds maiden race, won it easily, and came back with a two-length victory in a first-level two-turn allowance race over the same surface.

Principe Guilherme, who also won his first two starts before a tough-trip second in the Lecomte, worked five furlongs in company Monday and was timed in 1:01.40. Snapper Sinclair, who ran his best races on turf as a 2-year-old before a brave front-end performance in the Lecomte, also worked in company, going five furlongs in 1:02.60.

“They worked really nice,” Asmussen said. “Both are scheduled to have one more breeze next Monday and run a week from Saturday.”

Florent Geroux has a return call on Principe Guilherme, and Adam Beschizza on Snapper Sinclair. The Lecomte winner, Instilled Regard, is expected to return from California for the Risen Star and is all but certain to start as a favorite. The Risen Star and the rest of the Feb. 17 card will be drawn Friday.

Also working Monday for Asmussen was Copper Bullet, who won the Saratoga Special by four lengths Aug. 13 but hasn’t started since. Copper Bullet, a More than Ready colt, went five furlongs in a snappy 1:00.80, his second five-furlong drill since returning to the work tab.

“He worked well but got pretty tired on the gallop-out,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen intends to start She’s a Julie in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the Risen Star card. She’s a Julie returned from a long layoff to finish third in a fairly highly rated two-turn allowance race Jan. 19 at Fair Grounds and worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 Monday.

“She’s worked great since her race,” Asmussen said.