Obliteration destroys the field in Asmussen's first Sanford win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Obliteration confirmed his debut victory at Churchill Downs less than four weeks ago was no aberration with an even more impressive victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.

A 7 1/2-length winner on debut on June 12 in Kentucky, Obliteration was sharp away from the gate Saturday under Flavien Prat, took some token pressure from the maiden Blinging It Back and then drew clear to win the $175,000 Sanford by 10 1/2 lengths. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to a slow-starting Imagine John in third.

Strategic Risk, Fistfulofmoney, and Honey Dutch completed the order of finish.

The victory gave trainer Steve Asmussen his first victory in the Sanford with his 19th starter in 16 runnings of the race which was being run for the 110th time.

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“A hundred and ten runnings, it’s about time I won one of them,” Asmussen said from Indiana where he was at Horseshoe Indianapolis to saddle Publisher in the Indiana Derby. “He’s definitely a nice horse.”

Obliteration is owned by Leland Ackerley, who along with his brother Bob, were the owners of Valid Expectations, the horse who gave Asmussen his first graded stakes win with Valid Expectations in 1996.

High expectations for Obliteration are certainly valid after what he’s done in two starts. In his debut, he stalked the pace. In the Sanford, Obliteration was the pace, breaking alertly under Prat, opening up a half-length advantage inside of Blinging It Back, who stalked Obliteration through a half-mile in 45.56 seconds. Approaching the head of the stretch, Obliteration put away Blinging It Back and drew clear for the eye-catching score.

Obliteration, a son of Violence, covered the six furlongs in 1:10.65 (91 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $3.80 as the favorite.

“He was very efficient out of the gate,” said Prat, who won his third stakes race in as many days at this four-day July Fourth Racing Festival at Saratoga. “After that, I felt really in control. Around the turn he waited a bit on horses but as soon as I squeezed him and he went back to his right lead he went on.”

Obliteration races in blinkers, something that is a little out of character for an Asmussen-trained 2-year-old.

“We don’t run a lot of horses first time out in blinkers but he definitely needs the focus going forward,” said Scott Blasi, Asmussen’s long-time assistant. “But, a tremendous amount of talent, it’s fun to have a nice horse for the Ackerley brothers again.”

Asmussen said that he would look to run Obliteration in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 2 and then the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 1, races Asmussen has won five and three times, respectively.

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