Wicked Halo runs win streak to three in Prioress Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – First came Gunite, the 2021 Hopeful winner, who returned to Saratoga earlier this meet to win the Grade 2 Amsterdam and finish second in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens. And on Friday along came Wicked Halo, the 2021 Adirondack winner and another 3-year-old by Gun Runner who came back to the Spa to register a neck victory over the fast-closing Sterling Silver in the Grade 2 Prioress.
Wicked Halo brought a two-race winning streak, both stakes at Churchill Downs, into the six-furlong Prioress, but had not started since registering a very impressive and popular 4 3/4-length triumph in the one-mile Tepin two months earlier. She was originally being pointed to the Grade 1 Test here earlier this summer but had to bypass that race due to a minor hind foot issue, according to her trainer, Steve Asmussen.
With regular rider Tyler Gaffalione aboard, Wicked Halo sat in perfect striking position drafting behind the embattled pacesetters Hot Peppers, Mischievous Diane, and Union Lake during the early going. Wicked Halo tipped out four wide to commence her rally entering the stretch, took command leaving the furlong grounds, edged clear, and then withstood Sterling Silver’s final bid.
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Sterling Silver raced near the rear of the eight-horse field while saving ground to the stretch, angled out under a left-hand stick to continue her rally in midstretch, and finished best of all to just miss. Union Lake outlasted the others to be third, followed by the tiring 2-1 favorite Hot Peppers.
Wicked Halo is owned by her breeder, Winchell Thoroughbreds. She covered the distance over a fast track in 1:00.16 and paid $10.80.
“We were extremely aggressive last year trying to prove the Gun Runners and were rewarded for it,” Asmussen said. “And I just felt both horses, she and Gunite, were a very good example of using their one-turn ability, not expecting them to be Oaks or Derby horses. [We gave] them the spring and the preps off [to] wait for the money this summer. I am also loving the trend of how much the Gun Runners like Saratoga. They definitely run their races here.”
Asmussen said it took a little while for Wicked Halo to cycle back to her top form this season.
“We were a little off track with her early this year. She’s very laid back, and it took her a few races to get sharp,” Asmussen acknowledged. “But her last three runs are really solid. We missed the Test because of a little bit of a hind foot thing, but it was easy to pass knowing this race was on the calendar.”
Asmusssen said the seven-furlong Dogwood Stakes on Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs is the obvious target for Wicked Halo’s next start.