Shook Up does everything but win

There’s no question Steve Asmussen loves winning horse races. And he would have loved for the 3-year-old filly Shook Up to have won her first start against winners in an entry-level allowance race Monday at Fair Grounds.

She didn’t, finishing second as the overwhelming favorite to wire-to-wire winner Lovely Maria, but Asmussen remains bullish on Shook Up’s future, and said she would still be pointed to the Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Feb. 21 at Fair Grounds.

“She came out of the race in very good shape, and we’re still on target for the Rachel Alexandra,” Asmussen said Tuesday morning.

Shook Up finished a troubled third racing seven furlongs in her debut in Kentucky last fall, but overwhelmed maiden route horses at Fair Grounds in her second start, winning by 13 1/2lengths Jan. 3. The maiden race came with a clean pressing trip; Monday’s circumstances were much more demanding.

Shook Up broke from the inside post and within a furlong found herself stuck behind Lovely Maria, who had crossed to the rail and slowed the pace to a crawl. With a horse just outside locking her in, Shook Up tossed her head, pulled hard on Robby Albarado’s reins, and generally was rank through a quarter-mile in 24.73 and a half-mile in a glacial 49.33. As the pace-presser dropped away turning for home, Shook Up finally had room to come out and challenge Lovely Maria, but instead she lugged in several times toward the fence.

Lovely Maria wound up winning by 2 1/2 lengths, but there was no shame in defeat for Shook Up. Shook Up finished more than nine lengths clear of the third-place horse, and what’s more, Lovely Maria came home like a rocket.

This was race 8, and in race 4, a first-level route allowance for males, the half-mile split was 47.03 seconds, 2.3 seconds faster than Lovely Maria’s pace, yet the filly winner was timed in 1:43.24 for one mile 70 yards – a fine clocking on a track producing times in an average range – while the boys’ race went in 1:44.90. Lovely Maria’s last half-mile and 70 yards was nearly four seconds faster than the earlier race’s – and Shook Up, despite her mistakes, actually was finishing with good energy.

“She came home well, but the other filly had everything her own way,” Asmussen said. “I just think it was a little unfortunate the way the race played out.”

Shook Up, by Tapit and out of Sugar Shake, will likely have two works before the Rachel Alexandra, and Asmussen said he intends to change the type of bit used on Shook Up, moving away from the standard rubber bit in which she has raced.

Meanwhile, Asmussen is making stakes plans for two 3-year-old colts, Cinco Charlie and Bold Conquest. Cinco Charlie shipped from Fair Grounds to Sunland Park last week and won the $104,000 Riley Allison Derby, his first two-turn race, by 8 1/2 lengths, leading from start to finish. Cinco Charlie, who has won six times from nine starts, including five stakes, is stabled with Asmussen’s Sam Houston string and will ship back to Sunland for the Mine That Bird Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 21.

At Fair Grounds, Bold Conquest is training along for his 3-year-old debut, which Asmussen said could come in the $300,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 16 at Oaklawn Park. Bold Conquest, by Curlin, finished second in the Iroquois at Churchill and third (beaten 11 lengths by Carpe Diem) in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in his final two starts last season. Saturday, he worked five furlongs in 1:02, his fourth breeze of the winter.