Gunite gears up for Saudi trip in King Cotton
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Gunite is being prepared for a race in the Middle East, and a key stepping-stone for him comes Saturday at Oaklawn Park in the $150,000 King Cotton.
The six-furlong race for 4-year-olds and up is intended as Gunite’s springboard to the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Feb. 25 in Saudi Arabia, trainer Steve Asmussen said Wednesday.
“We want to get a prep in him before we go over there,” said Asmussen, who trains the Grade 1 winner for breeder Winchell Thoroughbreds.
The King Cotton is one of three stakes on the card, alongside the Southwest and Martha Washington. They make for the meet’s first major race day, which has a special post of 12 p.m. Central. The forecast calls for a high of 46 degrees and a couple of afternoon showers, according to AccuWeather.
:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets.
Gunite is part of an eight-horse field that includes Flash of Mischief. Both horses ran in the Breeders’ Cup in November at Keeneland. Gunite is making his first start since finishing fourth in the Dirt Mile on Nov. 5.
“A mile was a bit much,” Asmussen said. “We are shortening him up.”
Gunite’s most prestigious win came at seven furlongs, in the Grade 1 Hopeful in 2021 at Saratoga. He’s since won four more stakes and boasts a 6-for-13 record for earnings of more than $1 million.
Asmussen said the King Cotton was targeted for the horse’s 4-year-old debut because it will give him the benefit of a race off the break and also give him a month until the race in Saudi Arabia. He said it’s a timing pattern that’s been successful in the past for Gunite.
The Riyadh Sprint is to be contested over 1,200 meters, or about six furlongs.
Gunite on Saturday will break from post 7 in the eight-horse King Cotton. Asmussen has given the mount to Ricardo Santana Jr.
Flash of Mischief has made one start since finishing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and it was a winning one. He splashed home by 7 3/4 lengths in the Ring the Bell on Dec. 10 at Oaklawn.
Flash of Mischief earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103, which is the highest number put up at the meet. Cristian Torres has the mount from post 3 for breeder Jerry Namy and trainer Karl Broberg.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.