Asmussen loaded for Smarty Jones Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Long Range Toddy and Bankit are Kentucky Derby points veterans.

The 3-year-olds run in Friday’s opening-day edition of the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park and are the lone members of the field to have collected points. Long Range Toddy picked up 10 and Bankit four for their one-two finish in last month’s Springboard Mile at Remington Park.

They will be chasing after more in the Smarty Jones. The first four finishers Friday earn points on a scale of 10-4-2-1. A field of nine was drawn for the one-mile race, which ends at the sixteenth pole, including Gray Attempt and Six Shooter – both stakes winners in Louisiana – and Jack Van Berg, who is cross-entered in a Saturday allowance at Oaklawn.

Purses for the nine-race card Friday total $614,000, an Oaklawn record for an opening day.

Smarty Jones Stakes Race 8

KEY CONTENDERS

Long Range Toddy, by Take Charge Indy
Last 3 Beyers: 82-77-63

◗ He ticks all the boxes for Arkansas-based owners Willis and Glenda Horton as a stakes winner at the two-turn-mile distance of the Smarty Jones. Long Range Toddy has won three of his four races, all at Remington Park.

“He’s a homebred for the Hortons who had a fabulous meet at Remington, winning the Clever Trevor and Springboard Mile, and who has worked really well at Oaklawn,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.

◗ Long Range Toddy’s one loss came when he was fourth in a maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs in his career debut Aug. 31.

“I felt like the light went on after he ran,” Asmussen said. “He put more into everything he did. I thought with how physical he was being, we were able to run him in a two-turn maiden race at Remington. He ran a very strong race on the front end that day, trained impressively afterwards, and we cut him back to seven-eighths, and he ran a very professional race winning the Clever Trevor.”

◗ Richard Eramia, who is 3 for 3 aboard Long Range Toddy, has the mount from the rail.

Bankit, by Central Banker
Last 3 Beyers: 82-78-56

◗ He made a horse race out of the Springboard Mile, closing from 11th for second, beaten a head by Long Range Toddy.

“Being there live for the Springboard Mile, how fast he went by the wire was very impressive to me,” said Asmussen, who trains the horse for the Hortons and Winchell Thoroughbreds.

“He’s a horse that has talent.”

◗ Bankit won his maiden against New York-breds in July at Saratoga and remained in the statebred ranks for his next three starts, including a win in the $256,000 Sleepy Hollow on Oct. 20 at Belmont. Asmussen said the start in the Springboard Mile was to see if Bankit could “get to the next level as a 3-year-old.”

◗ Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard for the Springboard Mile and has the mount again from post 7.

Boldor, by Munnings
Beyers: 74-73

◗ He also hails from the barn of Asmussen, a nine-time title winner at Oaklawn.

◗ Boldor is moving to two turns off a runner-up finish in a first-level allowance sprint Nov. 24 at Churchill.

◗ He races for Ed and Susie Orr and worked a bullet five-eighths in 1:00 on Jan. 14 at Oaklawn.

“He’s a very big horse, and we just thought training him up to the Smarty Jones may be the best option as opposed to moving him twice – squeezing in another race and moving again,” said Asmussen.

◗ Ramon Vazquez has the mount from post 5.