Rain doesn't dampen Asmussen's work plans

NEW ORLEANS – Steve Asmussen has no qualms about breezing horses, even really good horses, over a wet track surface at Fair Grounds.

Just 20 horses recorded timed workouts Monday morning at sloppy Fair Grounds, where the rain ranged from steady to torrential, and more than half are trained by Asmussen. Among the trainer’s workers were all three of his entrants in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes, including 5-2 morning-line favorite Principe Guilherme.

“This racetrack is unbelievable,” Asmussen said during the renovation break while cleaning up the gray pony on which he had accompanied several workers. “It’s just crazy good.”

“Crazy good” could prove an apt description of Principe Guilherme, whose 6 1/4-length debut win over seven furlongs Nov. 10 at Churchill Downs was followed by an 11 1/4-length Fair Grounds victory Dec. 16 in a two-turn allowance race.

Just five days out from the Lecomte, which comes on relatively short notice after the allowance win, Principe Guilherme was mainly in maintenance mode. The first horse to work, Principe Guilherme went a half-mile in an official 50.40 seconds, skipping over the wet track with a smooth, energetic gallop-out.

“He’s an extremely talented horse,” Asmussen said. “He’s had a smooth preparation. He’s looked very athletic and full of himself.”

Principe Guilherme has post 12 for the Lecomte and will be ridden Florent Geroux. The only horse that might challenge him for favoritism is the California shipper Instilled Regard, who arrives Wednesday.

Working shortly after Principe Guilherme was Zing Zang, who went a half in 51.80 seconds. Zing Zang was fifth and seventh in his first two starts before breaking through with a 2 1/2-length maiden win here on Dec. 16.

“He’s a huge horse,” said Asmussen. “Just physically big, tall and big-boned, big around. When he gets it going in the right direction, he’s going to be fine.”

Asmussen’s third Lecomte starter is Snapper Sinclair, a turf stakes winner last year who races on dirt for the first time since a sixth-place finish in his career debut last summer at Belmont Park. Snapper Sinclair went a half-mile in 50.20 seconds.

“Snapper was a little quicker than the other two, but that’s just him,” said Assmussen. “He’s the most accomplished of the three, and this an opportunity to see if he can transfer what he’s done on turf to the dirt.”

The Lecomte three aren’t Asmussen’s only upcoming 3-year-old stakes starters. Also working Monday was Combatant, the Springboard Mile runner-up, who went a half in 50.80 and is one of two horses, along with Tap Daddy, Asmussen plans to start Monday at Oaklawn in the Smarty Jones. Tap Daddy worked five furlongs in 1:02 here Sunday.

Also in the Fair Grounds barn is Copper Bullet, who won the Saratoga Special last August but hasn’t raced since. Copper Bullet had his first work since last summer when he went a half-mile in 52.80 seconds Jan. 5. There are no set plans for Copper Bullet, who still has plenty of fitness to regain, but Asmussen said he could make his 3-year-old debut at Oaklawn.