Engage strongest in wild Phoenix Stakes stretch run

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Steve Asmussen already has one of the likely favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in Mitole. He now has another possible starter in Engage, who prevailed in a long drive to edge Whitmore by a half-length in the Grade 2, $250,000 Phoenix Stakes on Friday at Keeneland.

The Phoenix offers a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. Asmussen stopped short of committing to the race, saying he will consult with Engage’s ownership and make sure the colt is in good order in coming days, but that it is his “hope and expectation” that Engage will soon join his top assistant, Scott Blasi, at Santa Anita.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Mitole has already shipped to California, and posted his first breeze at Santa Anita on Friday morning.

“The good news is, they have complimenting styles,” Asmussen said of his two Sprint candidates.

Good doesn’t come close to describing Asmussen’s potential hand for the Breeders’ Cup, with the barn very active in this weekend’s final round of major prep races. In addition to Mitole – who owns a fees-paid berth in the Dirt Mile, by virtue of his victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap – Asmussen also trains Distaff favorite Midnight Bisou, who is unbeaten this year, and fellow top-level winner She’s a Julie, who will attempt to lock down her Distaff berth in the Grade 1 Spinister Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland.

Grade 1 winner Mia Mischief, a candidate for the Filly and Mare Sprint, runs for Asmussen in Saturday’s Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes in Kentucky, while the 2-year-olds Gozilla, Life On the Road, and Wicked Whisper will be in action for the barn in Grade 1 stakes that offer automatic berths into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies, respectively.

Engage, a 4-year-old colt by leading sire Into Mischief, runs in the colors of Woodford Racing, a nom de course for William S. Farish Jr., of Lane’s End Farm. The colt won the Grade 3 Futurity in the fall of 2017 at Belmont Park and was multiple graded stakes-placed last year while trained by Chad Brown.

Engage was away from the races for nearly 10 months after the final start of his 3-year-old campaign, reappearing to finish fourth in an optional claiming race on July 19 at Saratoga. He was subsequently transferred to Asmussen, for whom he won the Bensalem Stakes on Sept. 2 at Parx. Asmussen said that effort gave him the confidence to move his relatively new charge back into graded stakes company.

“He’s a quality horse, just an absolutely beautiful individual, fresh horse, very sound horse,” Asmussen said. “Loved the opportunity for him. We felt good about our chances when we saw him over the racetrack here at Keeneland.”

Favored Promises Fulfilled, the defending winner of the Phoenix, and Zipp On By, the longest shot on the board, vied with one another through an opening quarter of 22.22 seconds. Zipp On By had edged his way clear by the quarter pole, through a half in 45.43. But the field was quickly upon him, with the pack winding up tightly bunched.

In midstretch, seven horses in the field of nine were separated by a half-length, with Engage having worked his way to third while running five paths out from the rail. Whitmore, the 2017 Phoenix winner, was seventh in midstretch after breaking slowly, and made a furious rally six wide. But Engage forged his way to the lead in deep stretch, and held off Whitmore.

“He’s a very game horse,” said jockey Jose Ortiz Jr., who has ridden Engage for both Brown and Asmussen. “I know him very well, and I appreciate the opportunity they gave me to ride him back. The last sixteenth, he felt some horses coming – he pins his ears back and keeps going.”

Engage paid $21. The final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.21.

Whitmore nosed out Lexitonian for third, with Recruiting Ready another three-quarters of a length back in fourth. Recruiting Ready was a nose ahead of Hog Creek Hustle.

The fading Promises Fulfilled, Zipp On By, Cove Blue, and American Pastime completed the order of finish.