Promising Booth set to return off fast figure

Booth, whose Beyer Speed Figure of 96 from his career debut Oct. 7 at Keeneland is tied for third highest among North American 2-year-olds of 2023, is likely to make his second start in the $225,000 Ed Brown Stakes on Nov. 25 at Churchill, trainer Steve Asmussen said.

Booth went straight to the lead debuting at six furlongs and won by 5 1/4 lengths. Runner-up Nash returned Sunday at Churchill and landed a two-turn dirt maiden by more than 10 lengths, earning a 95 Beyer and boosting Booth’s form.

Booth didn’t work after his first start until Oct. 31 but since has logged three drills, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 on Monday at Churchill.

“He ran very fast first out and so we gave him a little bit of time. He worked this morning, and he looks very good,” Asmussen said.

Booth is by Mitole, a brilliant sprinter trained by Asmussen, but out of the Curlin mare Sophia’s Song. That makes Booth a half-brother to Bright Future, who won the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup this summer, and a candidate to race successfully beyond the Ed Brown’s 6 1/2-furlong trip, though Asmussen isn’t yet looking past November.

“He obviously is a very fast horse. I’m not convinced he won’t go farther,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen does have a runner, Risk It, for the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, the 2-year-old route race on the Nov. 25 card. Risk It won his debut at Saratoga and was last seen finishing second on Sept. 16 at Churchill in the one-mile Iroquois Stakes.

Another 2-year-old colt, Otto the Conqueror, is headed to the Springboard Mile on Dec. 15 at Remington Park after a four-length maiden win Oct. 29 at Churchill.

Meanwhile, star-crossed Extra Anejo is scheduled to resume training at Fair Grounds before the end of November, Asmussen said. Extra Anejo was among the better 2-year-old winners of 2022, capturing his debut and lone start in October at Keeneland. He didn’t race again until May and made three starts this year, most recently finishing fourth on July 22 in the Grade 1 Haskell.

Poblano must overcome post

With the use of Churchill’s troubled grass course a day-to-day proposition the rest of this meet, it’s hard to say whether the featured eighth race Thursday will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, as carded, or over 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt.

No such surface question looms over race 7, a first-level allowance – one level below the featured eighth – carded for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Poblano probably will be favored here for trainer Brendan Walsh and jockey Tyler Gaffalione, but the 3-year-old Godolphin homebred must overcome post 10. Poblano, who raced twice at 2, was an easy maiden winner this summer at Ellis Park, and after a Lasix-less flop in the Seneca Overnight Stakes in September at Churchill, she rebounded (back on Lasix) finishing second to the good filly Raging Sea in a Keeneland allowance race last month.

Flashy Lass, who comes out of the Brad Cox barn, might have more upside than Poblano and definitely has a better post position breaking from the rail. Making her third start but first without blinkers, Flashy Lass won an Oct. 22 Keeneland maiden race in her first true route try.

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