As Seen On Tv flaunts speed once again

MIAMI – When As Seen On Tv was originally purchased for $50,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s 2019 April sale and first started training this past summer at Monmouth Park, trainer Kelly Breen thought the Lookin At Lucky colt’s future would be going a distance of ground. But after As Seen On Tv launched his career with two wins and a second in three starts at distances ranging from six to 6 1/2 furlongs, Breen admits he’s been pleasantly surprised at how fast he really is.

As Seen On Tv showed off that speed again Saturday at Gulfstream Park West, forcing the pace of Smash Factor before pulling away to a relatively easy 1 1/2-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Sprint. His final time of 1:16.36 earned him a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We believed he had some ability right from the start, but with his breeding and his stride, I thought he was set up to ultimately go two turns,” Breen said Monday. “I was really waiting on more of a distance race. He surprised me the way he won the first time out going six furlongs while being on the lead like that.”

As Seen On Tv tried stakes company in his second start, finishing second behind heavily favored Meru in the six-furlong Smoke Glacken at Monmouth. Meru subsequently returned to finish a distant second behind Independence Hall in the Grade 3 Nashua at Aqueduct.

“Here I thought I had a distance horse and all of a sudden he’s up close and running well in races going in 1:08 and change, 1:09 and change,” Breen said. “It’s ironic, but now I have to try to get him to relax a little bit to get him to go a distance.”

Breen, who is splitting his 40-horse stable pretty much down the middle this winter between Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park, said he’ll take a wait-and-see attitude with As Seen On Tv following his win in the Juvenile Sprint.

“He came out of the race well,” Breen said. “We’ll try to figure out a plan from here, maybe look to stretch him out as we go along.”

Along with having As Seen On Tv based locally this winter, Breen also is anxiously awaiting the return of his multiple graded stakes winner Valedictorian, who has been enjoying a brief break on the farm in Ocala, Fla. Valedictorian captured the Grade 3 Suwannee River last winter at Gulfstream Park, one of her three wins during a 2019 campaign that also included a victory in the Grade 3 Eatontown at Monmouth.

◗ Racing resumes at Gulfstream Park West on Wednesday with an eight-race program featuring a carryover of $727,235 in the Rainbow 6 pool. The Rainbow 6 has not been hit over the last 30 racing programs since being taken down for $2.2 million on Sept. 27 at Gulfstream Park.