Asmussen in no rush to prove Extra Anejo's class

The star-crossed 4-year-old Extra Anejo scored a rousing 3 1/2-length allowance win May 30 at Churchill in his latest return from a layoff.

A $1.35 million yearling owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Extra Anejo, a massive beast, was one of the most impressive 2-year-old winners of 2022 but didn’t start between his October debut and the following May. Fourth in the Haskell last July, he suffered another setback and didn’t start again until last week.

Extra Anejo, by Into Mischief, has only raced around two turns once, in the Haskell, and won at seven furlongs last week with a 96 Beyer Speed Figure. His record aside, the colt looks and acts like a two-turn horse.

“He’s a horse we’ve always thought was meant for the highest-level races, and we still think that,” trainer Steve Asmussen said.

Asmussen said he’s in no rush for Extra Anejo to prove he truly is top class. The hope this summer is for the horse to stay sound, get on a racing pattern, and see where that takes him.

Meanwhile, Skelly remains a likely runner in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt on July 27 at Saratoga despite finishing second as the overwhelming favorite June 1 in the Aristides Stakes at Churchill. Skelly broke slowly, quickly came up to set the pace, and was run down late by 18-1 shot Closethegame Sugar. Skelly got a 96 Beyer after posting figures of 105, 103, and 102 in his three American races earlier this year.

◗ Tony Ann, a 6-year-old graded stakes dropper, meets rising 4-year-old Beauty of the Sea and eight others Friday in Churchill’s featured fifth race, a turf sprint with multiple high-end allowance conditions, a $175,000 claiming option, and a $148,000 purse. The Phil D’Amato-trained Tony Ann, winner of the Grade 2 Franklin last fall at Keeneland, probably didn’t love the yielding course finishing eighth May 3 at Churchill in the Unbridled Sydney. Beauty of the Sea makes her second start at age 4 after returning from a winter break with a sharp Gulfstream turf-sprint win April 28.

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