Red Route One in Preakness not sure thing, Asmussen says
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Red Route One earned a Preakness Stakes berth with his win in the $200,000 Bath House Row on Saturday at Oaklawn, but whether he advances to the middle leg of the Triple Crown has yet to be determined, according to trainer Steve Asmussen.
“We’ll see how things shake out, whether he runs in the Preakness,” Asmussen said Sunday.
Asmussen noted Red Route One has common ownership ties with Disarm, who is being pointed to the Kentucky Derby. Both horses race for their breeder, Winchell Thoroughbreds.
Asmussen said Red Route One is to ship to Churchill Downs on Monday.
Red Route One closed from 11 lengths off the pace for a head win in the Bath House Row. For the effort, he equaled his best career Beyer Speed Figure, a 92. Red Route One earned the same number for his runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Rebel in February.
The Bath House Row was the first stakes win for Red Route One.
“He came back good,” Asmussen said Sunday. “I’m relieved he got up. It has always appeared there’s a little more there.”
Red Route One had finished second or third in a handful of stakes prior to the Bath House Row, which was formerly run as the Oaklawn Invitational.
Tapit Shoes, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Cyberknife, was just edged in a photo in the Bath House Row. He finished second in his stakes debut.
“He has really improved a lot,” trainer Brad Cox said Sunday. “He ran a winning race, came up just a touch short. Very proud of the effort. I think he’s going to get a lot out of it. I’ve always thought he was a horse that would improve with more ground, and just experience, and he seems to be going the right way.”
Cox said Tapit Shoes and Victory Formation, who was third in the Bath House Row, were to ship to Churchill on Sunday. No plans have been set for Tapit Shoes.
“We’ll see how he’s doing,” Cox said. “There’s races out there that make sense in the next month or so.”
Victory Formation, a stakes winner, was prominent throughout in the Bath House Row.
“He was obviously part of a hot pace, but we do feel like he’s a horse that needs to be forwardly placed,” Cox said. “He didn’t get much of a breather. He did stay on very, very well. It was a very positive race.”
Plans for Victory Formation’s next start are to be determined, said Cox.
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