Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Asmussen hoping patience pays off with Extra Anejo
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen came into the second half of summer 2022 feeling like the best 3-year-old in North America, Epicenter, resided in his barn. Asmussen enters the same period in 2023 with the same kind of feeling – twice over.
Disarm will take Epicenter’s path, running in the Jim Dandy and the Travers at Saratoga, the two races Epicenter won to cement his place at the head of last year’s 3-year-old division. Meanwhile, Extra Anejo is set to make his stakes debut Saturday at Monmouth Park in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell.
Still very much unexposed, with only three starts behind him, none beyond one mile, Extra Anejo has exuded star quality since Ron Winchell’s Winchell Thoroughbreds paid $1.35 million to acquire the colt at a yearling auction. Winchell also owns Disarm and campaigned Epicenter.
“The Winchells have had a lot of very good horses, and Extra Anejo is as promising as any of them,” Asmussen said.
Extra Anejo and jockey Tyler Gaffalione break from post 7 in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, which drew an excellent field of eight that includes Kentucky Derby winner Mage (post 4, Javier Castellano to ride). Mage is only the second choice at 3-1 on Monmouth’s morning line behind 5-2 favorite Arabian Knight.
Arabian Knight breaks from post 8 under John Velazquez and will be making just his third career start and first since an easy win Jan. 28 at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes. The price owner Amr Zedan paid to acquire Arabian Knight at a 2-year-old auction, $2.3 million, dwarfs what Extra Anejo cost. Arabian Knight ships from California for nine-time Haskell-winning trainer Bob Baffert, who made specific mention of one of his rivals during a Wednesday press conference.
“Extra Anejo, we know he’s a superstar kind of horse,” Baffert said.
Another Californian of deep talent, Geaux Rocket Ride drew the rail with Mike Smith set to ride for trainer Richard Mandella. Mandella has run one horse in the Haskell, Dixie Union, who won the 2000 renewal.
Longshot Awesome Strong (Jose Batista) drew post 2, with Salute the Stars (Joel Rosario) in post 3. Brad Cox trains Salute the Stars, who won the Pegasus at Monmouth last month, and has sent out the last two Haskell winners, Cyberknife and Mandaloun. Outside Mage in post 5 is Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice (Luis Saez), most recently third of nine in the Belmont Stakes, with another outsider, Howgreatisnate (Paco Lopez) drawn in post 6.
Mage’s participation in the Haskell only was confirmed Tuesday, but Asmussen has been aiming Extra Anejo this way for quite some time. By Into Mischief out of the Hard Spun mare Superioritycomplex, Extra Anejo made a splash with a brilliant debut score last fall at Keeneland racing seven furlongs and 184 feet. He was favored in one of the early Derby futures pools before a bone chip in a hind ankle required surgical removal over the winter.
Asmussen took things extremely slowly with this colt, who trains like a beast, not wanting to ask for too much, too soon. Starting serious training too late to make the Triple Crown, Extra Anejo’s 3-year-old debut came in the first race on Derby Day at Churchill Downs – and he lost. In a tight spot along the fence after breaking from the rail in a sprint, Extra Anejo got going too late, coming up one length short.
The defeat came down to poor racing luck and the fact Extra Anejo was being brought along toward more important races. He
had been scheduled to have his stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn at Churchill, but when the meet was moved to Ellis Park and the Winn became a 1 1/8-mile contest, Asmussen opted for a one-mile, first-level allowance there June 10.
Extra Anejo traveled beautifully from the start, relaxing behind a fast-paced winner before utterly dominating the stretch run. He won in a gallop by more than six lengths, earning a 94 Beyer Speed Figure and a spot in the Haskell.
The nine-furlong Matt Winn fit well into the schedule set for Disarm, who won the race impressively, his first stakes victory. Extra Anejo isn’t as accomplished as Disarm, and neither colt right now rates as high as Epicenter did in late July 2022. Yet both colts seem poised to hit a higher level.
“I like ours,” Asmussen said, referring to his horses’ place in the division. “They’ve got a lot of talent. They need a lot of things to go right, but they’ve put in the work, and we’re excited for the summer with them.”
Disarm and Extra Anejo have been workmates for a couple months now, most recently putting in a blockbuster move July 15 at Saratoga. Extra Anejo can be headstrong before breaking off into his breezes, Asmussen said, and he was this past Saturday going inside Disarm. But Extra Anejo settled into a good rhythm around the turn, and the pair hit the wire powerfully followed by a long, smooth gallop-out. An even more serious work had come July 2 at Churchill.
“Disarm has always been an impressive work horse,” Asmussen said. “Extra Anejo has had multiple works with Disarm through the summer. I think that’s a good measure of his ability.”
The ability clearly is there, but this Haskell came up deep and strong. Extra Anejo might be something special. He’ll have to be to contend Saturday in New Jersey.