Obliteration poised to give Asmussen seventh Amsterdam win
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Between them, Hall of Fame trainers Steve Asmussen and Todd Pletcher have won 10 of the 33 runnings of the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga. There’s a pretty good chance one of those two will add another Amsterdam to their trophy case when the Grade 2, $250,000 race for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs is run here on Friday.
Asmussen, a six-time Amsterdam winner, will send out the 7-5 morning-line favorite Obliteration, who last summer won the Grade 3 Sanford here, one of three stakes on his résumé. Pletcher, who has won this race four times, sends out the lightly raced but full-of-potential Local Knowledge, who is listed at 5-1 on David Aragona’s morning line.
Obliteration, a son of Violence, has been well traveled throughout his 10-race career. This year alone he has raced at Oaklawn Park, King Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia, Laurel Park, and Saratoga. After finishing second in the Saudi Derby at one mile in February, Obliteration ran, for the day, a very fast six furlongs – 1:09.77 – at Laurel winning the Chick Lang Stakes.
Matched against Englishman and Crude Velocity in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Saratoga on June 6, Obliteration finished third, 5 3/4 lengths behind the freakishly fast Englishman – who equaled the track record for seven furlongs, 1:20.40 – while finishing a nose back of Crude Velocity for second.
“I thought he ran really well, but he was obviously a little flat. He ran too fast at Laurel,” Asmussen said. “The racetrack was pretty slow and I think he was a little flat for the Woody Stephens and he put himself a little farther back and the winner ran incredible. Sometimes they’re pretty self-explanatory.”
Asmussen has won this race with the likes of Yaupon, Jackie’s Warrior, and Gunite. Obliteration has work to do to get in the league of that trio, but Asmussen believes “the best is ahead of him,” he said.
Jose Ortiz rides Obliteration from post 7.
Local Knowledge, a son of Yaupon, won a hot maiden race last October at Keeneland, beating, among others, Commandment, who would become a Grade 1 winner. Local Knowledge was forced to the sidelines and returned in a first-level allowance here on June 6, finishing third as the 2-1 favorite.
“I just think it’s difficult when you’re going from one start to running against horses with a lot more experience and seasoning,” Pletcher said. “I thought he ran well, subsequently has trained like he’s capable of better if things go the right way. It’s ambitious placing but I don’t think out of line for the talent he’s showed us in the mornings.”
John Velazquez rides Local Knowledge from post 2.
Solitude Dude, a three-time listed stakes winner, paid the price for dueling with Englishman in the Woody Stephens, retreating to seventh in the nine-horse field. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is happy to be away from Englishman, who is training up to the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on Aug. 29.
“I think he deserves a chance. I think the horse is a good horse. Obviously he ran into a freak of a horse; freaks make good horses look average,” Joseph said. “I think the pace will be different [Friday].”
Dallas Stewart won last year’s Amsterdam with Smoken Wicked. Friday, he ships in American Man from Kentucky, where last out he finished second to the sharp Deep Flame in the Grade 3 Maxfield.
“He showed tenacity last time. He’s got speed but he can be rated if he has to,” Stewart said. “I’ll leave that up to [Flavien] Prat.”
Gilded Bandit, trained by Bill Mott, was fourth in the Woody Stephens and has been a regular workmate of Chief Wallabee. Lincoln’s Law, trained by Phil Bauer, beat Gilded Bandit when both debuted in a six-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park in February. Rockies Balboa beat Gilded Bandit in a June 25 allowance and trainer Dale Romans wheels Rockies Balboa back 12 days after running seventh in the Quick Call Stakes on turf.
White Smoke Rising has won his last two for trainer Charlie Baker.
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