Great Mills fits well in turf sprint allowance at Fair Grounds

NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Steve Asmussen isn’t giving up on the 3-year-old colt Great Mills as a route horse, but as well as Great Mills ran winning a turf-sprint maiden race here Dec. 23, Asmussen saw no reason to pass up the featured sixth race on Monday at Fair Grounds.

The Monday feature is another grass sprint, an entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds that drew just six entries. One of them, Dos Lunas, is a filly tackling boys.

Asmussen debuted Great Mills, a son of War Front bred and owned by Ro Parra’s Millennium Farms, in a grass route on Nov. 28 at Fair Grounds. The colt pressed a slow pace and still was within a head of the lead, but faded late and finished 10th of 11. Asmussen said he might well give Great Mills a look in a future two-turn start, but after Great Mills scored a sharp 2 3/4-length maiden win when turned back to a sprint on Dec. 23, Monday’s one-turn allowance became the obvious spot in which to run Great Mills back.

“The way he ran the other day, this just made sense,” Asmussen said.

Shaun Bridghmohan is named on Great Mills, who figures to go off a short-priced favorite.

The filly Dos Lunas last started in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, finishing ninth after setting the early pace. She raced in nothing but stakes last season after winning her career debut in a Saratoga turf sprint, and might be good enough to challenge Great Mills.

Turf-debuting Category Killer, third in a dirt-sprint race at this class level Dec. 26, should also be competitive if his dirt form transfers to turf.