Wicked Halo keeps family tradition going with Adirondack triumph

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Like mother, like daughter.

Six years after her dam, Just Wicked, won the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga, the speedy Wicked Halo followed in her footsteps, withstanding a contentious early pace to edge away to a very impressive 3 1/2-length victory over Interstatedaydream in Sunday’s Grade 2 dash for juvenile fillies.

Like Just Wicked, Wicked Halo is a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred trained by Steve Asmussen. She is out of the first crop of Gun Runner, who is off to a remarkable start to this point of his freshman season at stud.

Wicked Halo came into the Adirondack off a popular debut victory over a wet track at Ellis Park and a third-place finish after setting a hot pace in the Debutante just three weeks later at Churchill Downs.

With Jose Ortiz aboard for the second straight start, Wicked Halo rushed up to join Microbiome for command in the opening furlong, worked hard to finally dispose of that rival after five furlongs, edged away to a comfortable advantage and was never threatened thereafter.

Interstatedaydream raced at the rear of the pack during the early running, saved ground throughout and rallied willingly to be second-best. Saucy Lady T finished well out near the middle of the track to overtake the stakes-placed Mainstay to finish third. Ontheonesandtwos, who finished in front of Wicked Halo when second in the Debutante, bobbled at the break and was never a serious factor thereafter, finishing a disappointing sixth as the 2-1 favorite.

Wicked Halo covered the distance in 1:17.99 over the fast track and paid $11.40.

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“What a great sire Gun Runner has proven to be and to duplicate what her mother did is very special,” said Asmussen, who became the winningest trainer in North American racing history Saturday. “That’s Saratoga tough (the way she won). The filly on the outside (Microbiome) out-broke her a bit, they ride aggressively here, and horses either respond or get beat. For a 2-year-old filly, the way she acted in the paddock off hard races, it’s a level of class that is hard to come by. And having Ron Winchell give us horses like this makes all the accolades possible.”

Asmussen said he will pass on the Grade 1 Spinaway at the end of the meet to give Wicked Halo a bit of a break.

“I got overly aggressive with her mother and being fortunate to have the family continuously, you need to learn from it,” Asmussen said.