NATION’S LEADING TRAINER STEVE ASMUSSEN NOMINATES TWO JUVENILES TO $100,000 CLEVER TREVOR STAKES, STEPPING STONE TO SPRINGBOARD
Five stakes winners and three other stakes placed 2-year-olds have been nominated among the 28 that could run in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes on Friday, Oct. 28.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, the nation’s top conditioner in wins this year with 344 and the all-time top winner in horse racing, has nominated five of the 28, including two juveniles that have already won more than $100,000. One, Gigante, is a stakes winner and the other, Roman Giant, is stakes placed.
The stakes winner Asmussen nominated, Gigante, is a 2-year-old colt by Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway), out of the Empire Maker mare Summertime Green. The colt was purchased for $120,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2021. Gigante is owned by Iapetus Racing of Houston, Texas, and Diamond T Racing of Lexington, Ky. The young colt was a stakes winner in impressive fashion, taking the $125,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Colonial Downs on the turf on Sept. 6 by 6-3/4 lengths. That race was at 1-1/16th miles. Gigante has only raced four times, but has won twice. His other win came on the dirt at Colonial in a $60,000 maiden special weight race on Aug. 10 at one mile. He has earned $171,250. He was bred in Virginia by Ann Mudge Backer and Smitten Farm.
If Roman Giant were to go in the Clever Trevor Stakes, a 7-furlong race, he would be the top earner in the field with $173,080 earned in eight career races. The 2-year-old son of Carpe Diem (Giant’s Causeway), out of the Ghostzapper mare Bestinthebusiness, ran a distant third in the $125,000 Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes on Aug. 14 at 7 furlongs. His only win came in a $120,000 maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs in wire-to-wire fashion on June 30. Roman Giant added blinkers and Lasix in his only start at Remington Park in the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes on Sept. 25 and ran a dismal fifth, beaten 12 lengths. He is owned by Mike McCarty of Austin, Texas. McCarty purchased this horse for $55,000 in the Ocala Breeders Sale for 2-Year-Olds in training in March. Roman Giant’s record is eight starts, one win, two seconds and two thirds. He was bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones.
Here’s a look at some of the other stakes winners nominated to the Clever Trevor:
Campfire Creed – This 2-year-old colt will carry the local colors for Remington Park in the Clever Trevor if he goes. He has been the top juvenile racing here thus far this meet, winning the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes at 6 furlongs on Sept. 25 by 1-3/4 lengths under jockey Gerardo Mora. Danny Pish trains this colt by Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor), out of the More than Ready mare Mahbadiha, for owner Dennis Foster of Cle Elm, Wash. He has won two of three starts this year, but is undefeated in his two starts at Remington Park. He also broke his maiden here on Aug. 20 by 5-1/4 lengths on Aug. 20 after running second at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, against maidens in July. He has earned $75,178 in his three career starts. He was purchased for $60,000 by Foster at the Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling and HORA Sale in 2021. He was bred in Kentucky by Highclere Inc.
Two Phil’s – Trained by Larry Rivelli and owned by Patricia’s Hope of North Barrington, Ill., and Phillip Sagan, this 2-year-old colt by Hard Spun (Danzig), out of the General Quarters mare Mia Torri, was ridden to victory by Jarreth Loveberry at Canterbury Park in the $50,000 Shakopee Juvenile on Sept. 17. He won that day by 9-3/4 lengths. Two Phil’s then stepped up to the $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, but flattened out to a seventh-place finish. He was bred in Kentucky by Sagan. Record 4-2-0-0, $77,100. He was purchased for $150,000 at the Keeneland Yearling Sale last fall.
Vietnam Victory – This 2-year-old colt by Klimt (Quality Road), out of the Smart Strike mare Real Strike, was a winner in the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity on July 17 at Lone Star Park. He won by two lengths against Texas-breds at 5-1/2 furlongs. He is owned by James Stodola of Denton, Texas, and trained by Bret Calhoun. He ran fourth, beaten 7-1/4 lengths by Campfire Creed in the Kip Deville. His record is 3-2-0-0, $114,120. He was bought for $30,000 at the Texas Thorougbred Association Yearling and HORA Sale. He was bred in Texas by CJ Thoroughbreds.
Zia Zapper – This 2-yer-old colt by 2004 Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper (Awesome Again), out of the Old Fashioned mare Fashionable Frolic, is undefeated after two starts, capturing the $50,000 Manzano Stakes at Albuquerque on Sept. 18 after breaking his maiden at Ruidoso Downs also in New Mexico. He is trained by former jockey Casey Lambert and owned by Jake and Stephen Brown. Zia Zapper has earned $35,720 in those two starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Pollock Farms. Jake Brown purchased him for $22,000 at the Texas Thoroughbred 2-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale this year.
Tracked by more than 171,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $304 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park features the $400,000 Springboard Mile, our top 2-year-old race on the final night of the season on Saturday, December 17. Remington Park also presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
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