He sent out Creator to victory in the 2016 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). Some horses may pass on the Derby which could then draw in horses from further down the list. I thought this horse would be written off due to the low speed figure earned in the last race. When he was caught by Call Me Midnight at the wire last month in the Lecomte (G3), he went out in 23.40 and 47.01. This one is a Derby pass for me. Horse profile for Kentucky Derby contender Epicenter. Unified Report is unbeaten in three races but gets a test on two levels here as his wins in the Louisiana Legacy Stakes and Louisiana Juvenile Stakes were against Louisiana-breds and were sprint races; he will be tackling two-turns for the first time in the Lecomte. In the Belmont, Curlin lost by a head to filly Rags to Riches. He found it with about 330 yards to go and was making up ground at the end, but it was too late to catch Epicenter. Meanwhile, Early Voting tracked the early pace set by Armagnac and moved to the lead entering the stretch, pulling well clear with an eighth of a mile remaining. Also settling in at Pimlico Wednesday was Fenwick, a 50-1 shot on the Preakness morning line. Weather info Powered by Dark Sky. Trafalgar took two months off and ran in an allowance race at Fair Grounds on Dec. 2, instead of a stakes race as Epicenter did. Check out the #TwinSpiresReplay ?? "He likes it here, so he's in good shape. He's not going to beat us.' Other Top Tracks, Equibase Analysis: Epicenter The One To Beat In Lecomte, First Winner For Late Stallion Effinex Comes At Saratoga, Vanzzy Rises To The Occasion In Jersey Derby, Voss: Im Worried About The Lone Racing Veterinarian In The Classroom, Imprimus Earns Breeders Cup Turf Sprint Berth With Hard-Fought Victory At Kentucky Downs, Turfway Holiday Meet In The Mix As Churchill Trainers, Jockeys Make Winter Plans, Jockey Robbie Dunne Appeals 18-Month Bullying Ban. This one is on my radar, but I will be looking for a convincing win in the Wood Memorial if this one is going to be a part of my Derby day plays. He set fairly quick times as the pace setter in the UAE Derby and just didnt have the sustaining power to get the job done late. Her next pre-Oaks start has yet to be determined, whereas Epicenter will return for the Louisiana Derby. Notes: Upsets by Rick Strike, Zandon or Early Voting would go a long way in solidifying their aspirations. He's come here a bunch of other times. "Happy Jack, Fenwick Settle In You can't stand here and compare him to Curlin and Gun Runner yet because how they finished their career made them who they were.". [2] Not This Time stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Kentucky for US$75,000 service fee. It might be a tougher task to run as well off nearly three months away from the races as compared to Epicenter and Trafalgar, but if Pappacap is fit to run as well as he did in his last race off workouts alone he should be a strong factor in this years Lecomte Stakes. Photo: Anika MiskarCreative Minister gallops atPimlico. The Winchell family has been pursuing a Derby win for two generations. Equibase Company is the Official Supplier of Racing Information and Statistics to America's Best Racing, Breeders' Cup, Daily Racing Form, NTRA, The Jockey Club, TRA, TVG and XpressBet. Asmussen loves the natural talent of Epicenter, noting that if you only looked at numbers, you'd think Epicenter was training harder than some of his previous Derby contenders. Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes showcases nine recently turned 3-year-olds and is the first of a local three-race prep series at the Fair Grounds on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. This one was behind Un Ojo which isnt great, but if you like Barber Road, this one finished ahead of him. I thought the trip might have settled him down a little bit," he added. Epicenter All Rights Reserved. [8], "To be able to win the inaugural running of the Gun Runner today is special for us," said Scott Blasi, Asmussen's assistant trainer. As has been the Midnight Lute colt's custom in recent starts, he lagged behind early Saturdayracing eighth of as Gun Runner Stakes winner Epicenter shot to the lead in the 1 1/16-mile race with. Considering the win was at Fair Grounds and at the distance of the Lecomte and Epicenter is making only his fourth career start and second around two-turns, this colt is the one to beat in the Lecomte. He went to the early lead, setting fast opening fractions of 22.37 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 45.72 for the half. La Crte is comfortable and weight bearing, a Tweet from owner Stonestreet Stables said Saturday night. And he did", said Asmussen. Which horses should you bet on at TVG? "Then "I saw [Rich Strike], and I'm like, 'No! "Hats off to him. "It's a horse race, and anybody can win. The diagnosis took the edge off a satisfying climax to the night for Asmussens team. "This year's Oaks and Derby are extremely exciting in terms of how strong the races look and how well all of the horses are doing going into them. "I got 23 different feelings on the Derby that I very vividly remember. Armagnac, owned by SF Racing and partners, last ran May 8, winning an allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita Park. That's why his training and his works since have been faster and stronger.". The race fell apart a little bit, as it should have. Zandon (7-2), the publics fourth choice, was another half-length back in third. The trouble is that this one is pointed to the Bay Shore instead of the Wood which implies this one wont be pointed toward the Derby anyway. Print; Tweet Email. He said the son of Not This Time is well within himself in working four times since the March 26 Louisiana Derby, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.80 April 17 at Churchill. . Demling just locked in his picks for Flightline, Taiba, Epicenter and every horse in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic field. In 2022 he won the Risen Star, Louisiana Derby, Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes. Purse: $200,000. This runner won the Sunland Derby and did beat Messier last year, but I just dont trust this one. Pappacap is notable not because of his two runner-up efforts last fall but because those efforts came against unbeaten and untested Corniche in the G1 American Pharoah Stakes and in the G1 Breeders Cup Juvenile. Forte is a 3 year old colt and has raced in 2022. "We're very pleased with how the training has gone for both Epicenter and Echo Zulu," Asmussen said. Other highly regarded contenders included Zandon (Blue Grass Stakes), Taiba (Santa Anita Derby), White Abarrio (Florida Derby), Messier (second in Santa Anita Derby), Cyberknife (Arkansas Derby) and Mo Donegal (Wood Memorial). I gallop him at Churchill, and he's jumping around and feeling good. This one has lost 2 straight to Tiz the Bomb who will be a career turfer. He swung five-wide moving into the stretch and moved steadily to the lead to win by 1+12 lengths over Zandon, with Early Voting finishing in fourth. Had the chance to establish himself in the Arkansas Derby and just didnt look good fading from the early pack. [11] "It was a little different than his last race, as every fraction was perfect for him," said Winchell. In 2022 he won the Risen Star, Louisiana Derby, Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes. Weather info Powered by Dark Sky. An (*) asterisk after the odds means Epicenter was the post-time favorite. It makes it extremely special. "[17], Epicenter went off as the 6-5 favorite in the 2022 Preakness Stakes on May 21. "It felt like the walk over for Curlin's Derby took three strides and the walk back felt like the Sahara Desert. Clunked in the Arkansas Derby after an upset in the Rebel. Moving forward this is what we wanted to see. Epicenter (7-5) Jockey: Joel Rosario Trainer: Steve Asmussen Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds Career record: 5 starts - 3 wins - 1 second - 0 thirds Career earnings: $410,639 Earnings per start: $82,128 Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97 Kentucky Derby points: 64 Pedigree: Not This Time - Silent Candy, by Candy Ride Color: Bay These runners are often way over bet. Epicenter was bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farms. That's not to say Asmussen hasn't enjoyed plenty of spring success. He got the time off," Hernandez said. Epicenter held off Pappacap but was caught at the wire by Call Me Midnight, losing by a head. Epicenter does meet some key trends and respected metrics in horse racing when determining a contender or winner of the Kentucky Derby. "He's extremely talented. He took two starts to break his maiden. It is hard to see this runner making enough progress to get the job done even if he makes the gate at the Kentucky Derby. This one ran second in the Jeff Ruby behind a turf horse. I think this one is going to be the buzz horse into the Derby. In that race he ran into Corniche, who had just galloped in his maiden win and was the prohibitive favorite. This could be the Derby Asmussen garners a more-lasting winning feeling as he sends out Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenteroff of dominating victories at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). If you like Morello, this one finished just behind him in the Gotham. "[22], Epicenter made his final start in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on November 5. Imean, the (Equibase) speed figure did everything for me (after his May 7 allowance victory). "I think we accomplished that. An Epicenter loss on Saturday cannot be made up for with a victory in the Grade-1-come-lately Pennsylvania Derby. Zandon, a debut winner who lost by a nose Dec. 4 in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, blew the start going straight up at the break Saturday. Epicenter enters with four wins in six starts with half those efforts at 2 and half at 3. Early Voting went to the early lead while Epicenter settled in last place along the rail. And he's won the Derby's sister race, the Kentucky Oaks (G1), with Summerly in 2005 and Untapable in 2014. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen had it happen Saturday at Fair Grounds. Creative Minister Feeling Good He posted a career-high 105 Equibase Speed Figure and his second-best Beyer (100) number. "I've had the disappointment and survived it. Epicenter had the lead into the deep stretch before huge 80-to-1 longshot Rich Strike stole the show with a late rally along the inside to win and leave Epicenter as runner-up. Can the Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath take on the boys and prevail like Swiss Skydiver did in 2020? In the stretch, first Pappacap and then Call Me Midnight made strong moves. Even with Corniche rolling all alone on the front end, Pappacap stayed as close as he could and held second at 13 to 1 odds. He continued to draw away down the stretch to win by 5+14 lengths over Cyberknife, with Zandon in third and Rich Strike fourth. [18], Epicenter was given a layoff, then returned to racing on July 30 in the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. Depending on how some of these horses progress, they could be seen in the Risen Star Stakes four weeks from now on Feb. 19, and then hopefully in the Louisiana Derby on March 26. He also finished second as the favorite in both the 2022 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. 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