Yaupon's speed in Amsterdam marvels Asmussen

Trainer Steve Asmussen on Sunday was still marveling at how fast Yaupon ran in winning Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga.
“How many horses go 1:08-and-two at Saratoga?” Asmussen said.

Not many.

Yaupon’s final time of 1:08.50 was the fastest of 14 Amsterdams run at six furlongs. The first 13 of those were run between 1994-2007 [the 2006 was not run at 6 furlongs]. From 2008-19, the race was run at 6 1/2 furlongs.

For further context on how fast Yaupon ran Saturday, only four of the 36 runnings of the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap - which is typically won by an older horse - ran faster than Yaupon.

Yaupon earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his impressive victory in the slop, which improved his record to 3 for 3. All three of his races have come in a 71-day span beginning June 20, after a few setbacks both at 2 and earlier this year delayed the start of his career.

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“Glad to see him do it in a graded stakes,” Asmussen said. “That’s definitely what we were expecting to see happen. He’s really fast, he stays on wonderfully.”

Asmussen is in the enviable position of having several fast one-turn horses. His top older sprinter, Volatile, who won the Grade 1 Vanderbilt earlier this meet, is targeting the Grade 2 Vosburgh at Belmont on Sept. 26.

Echo Town, a 3-year-old who won the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens here on Aug. 1, is pointing to Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.

Where Yaupon shows up is not clear. Asmussen will get together with owners William and Corinne Heiligbrodt to discuss options.

Meanwhile, Asmussen remained in Saratoga on Sunday morning to watch several more of his fast horses breeze. Midnight Bisou, the champion older female of 2019 who got beat in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign here on Aug. 1, worked five furlongs in 1:01.85 over the Oklahoma training track. She got her final quarter in 24.25 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.52 and seven eighths in 1:29.60. She is targeting the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland on Oct. 4.

Cantata and Thoughtfully, a pair of undefeated 2-year-old fillies, worked five furlongs together in 1:01.81 over the training track with a final quarter of 25.10 seconds.

Cantata, a 10 1/4-length debut winner here Aug. 16, is targeting the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park on Oct. 10. Thoughtfully, 2 for 2 including a victory in the Grade 2 Adirondack, will point to the Alcibiades at Keeneland on Oct 2.