Red Route One adds to his bankroll with Essex Handicap victory

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Red Route One sailed past $2 million in career earnings on Saturday, when the notorious closer picked off all of his rivals in the Grade 3, $500,000 Essex Handicap for a 4 1/2-length victory over Tarantino. It was another three lengths back in third to Speed Bias.

Red Route One ($12.40) is now 6 for 25 for earnings of $2,127,857. He was winning his fifth stakes race in the Essex and all of those victories have come at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the race Saturday.

Red Route One trailed early as Tarantino, Unload, and Patriot Spirit duked it out through an opening quarter in 22.71 seconds. Unload and Patriot Spirit continued to spar through a half-mile in 46.25 and six furlongs in 1:11.67 as Red Route One advanced along the rail on the final turn, was angled out three wide into the stretch, and moved to the lead from there. The winner went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:51.67.

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Keith Asmussen was aboard Red Route One for Winchell Thoroughbreds and his father, trainer Steve Asmussen. He said in an interview conducted by Oaklawn that he liked how the race was setting up early on Saturday.

“In the first turn I could see they were not exactly fighting, but somewhat of a bar fight, and I’m just sitting with a world of confidence in my horse,” he said.

It was the second weekend in a row one of Asmussen’s sons won a graded race at Oaklawn for the barn. Erik Asmussen, who won the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice of 2024, captured last weekend’s Grade 3, $250,000 Whitmore aboard Booth.

Red Route Run is a 5-year-old son of Gun Runner who was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds.

Kimchi Cat takes Purple Martin

Kimchi Cat made her 3-year-old debut a winning one, when she darted to a four-length victory over Kentucky Smokeshow in the $175,000 Purple Martin. It was another neck back in third to Eseknforaraise.

Kimchi Cat ($5.20) prompted the pace, with Battleshipper putting up fractions of 22.44 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.76 for the half-mile. Kimichi Cat took command of the race by the eighth pole, and went on to cover six furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.91.

“Coming into the stretch, when they came to attack me, I asked my filly and she showed a turn of foot,” winning rider Rafael Bejarano told publicity at Oaklawn. “It was an amazing race.”

Tom Amoss trains Kimchi Cat for Joel Politi. The daughter of Twirling Candy has now won 3 of 5 starts for earnings of $263,665. Last year, Kimchi Cat won the Bolton Landing at Saratoga.

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