Super Stock back at Oaklawn for Poinsettia Stakes
Keith Asmussen spent the weekend at Oaklawn Park the last time his Super Stock raced at the track, winning the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April.
But the 80-year-old owner has a prior engagement Saturday, when millionaire Super Stock returns to the site of his greatest triumph for the $150,000 Poinsettia.
“This is about my busiest time of year,” Asmussen said. “From now to May, we’re breaking about 95, 100 babies.
“I’ll be watching him on the TV.”
The Poinsettia is a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds. The new stakes was created to help usher in December racing at Oaklawn. A field of seven has signed on, including Flash of Mischief, winner of the $250,000 St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park, and Last Samurai, who has come to hand over the fall season for Arkansas-based owner Willis Horton.
Super Stock’s four career wins have all come in stakes races, his most recent the $250,000 Zia Park Derby on Nov. 23. He won the 1 1/16-mile race by 1 1/4 lengths and has since settled in at Oaklawn.
“I thought the race went extremely well, and he came out of it in very good shape,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, the son of Keith Asmussen.
“I liked that race, just the way he handled it,” added Keith Asmussen. “He came from just a little bit off of it and when asked, he had it.
“It’s been quite a year, winning three derbies with him. We’re enjoying him.”
Super Stock, who is co-owned by Erv Woolsey, won his maiden in a division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity in May 2020 at Lone Star Park. This year, he’s captured the Arkansas Derby, Ellis Park Derby, and Zia Park Derby.
“He’s a very sound horse and mentally he isn’t one that causes his own self trouble,” Keith Asmussen said. “He likes to eat, sleep, and train.”
Luis Contreras has the mount from post 4.
Flash of Mischief will start from gate 3 under Ramon Vazquez. The three-time stakes winner is returning to racing with straight 3-year-olds after defeating older rivals, including multiple Grade 3 winner Mocito Rojo, in the $100,000 Delta Downs Mile on Nov. 13.
“Beating older horses is always fun, and I was impressed with him,” said Karl Broberg, who trains Flash of Mischief for Jerry Namy. “He got a big speed figure for the race.”
Flash of Mischief earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. For the Poinsettia, he is moving back to the distance of his win in the St. Louis Derby. Flash of Mischief will be making his first start at Oaklawn and worked over the surface Dec. 5.
“He’s handled every place we’ve shipped him to,” Broberg said. “He shipped well, and that’s never seemed to be an issue. Plus, we got him there immediately after the race at Delta and he’s had plenty of time to get acclimated.”
Last Samurai owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 92 for his third-place finish in a second-level allowance route over a 1 1/4 miles on Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs. Jon Court has the mount from the rail for trainer Dallas Stewart.