Asmussen Has Strong Hand in Hopeful

[Wandering Eyes]

A field of seven juveniles has been entered in Monday’s GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at Saratoga, with both Shoplifted (Into Mischief) and Gozilla (Flatter) looking to parlay local Rising Star  debuts into Grade I success. Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables and LNJ Foxwoods’ Shoplifted, an $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream purchase, earned his ‘Rising Star’ nod with a 4 1/2-length victory going 5 1/2 furlongs at the Spa July 27. Zayat Stables’ Gozilla was tabbed a ‘Rising Star’ after he scored by that same margin going six furlongs Aug. 10. Both runners are trained by Steve Asmussen, who also saddles Basin (Liam’s Map) in the seven-furlong Hopeful.

Stronach Stables’ Green Light Go (Hard Spun) will look to go three-for-three in the Hopeful. The Jimmy Jerkens trainee opened his career with a 3 1/4-length win at Belmont July 4 and scored by that same margin in the Aug. 10 GII Saratoga Special last time out. The bay colt worked a bullet four furlongs in :47.00 (1/19) at Saratoga Aug. 27.

“He ran well the first time, but he had to lead all the way and didn’t have a whole lot of experience,” Jerkens said of the Special winner. “He broke real sharp and it was good to see the horse that ran second [Another Miracle] came back and ran real big. I felt really good after seeing that. Key races really mean something, and that horse came back and won a stakes on the turf. He’s not beating up on slouches. We’re going into [the Hopeful] feeling well.”

The other graded winner in the Hopeful field is Anderson Stables’ By Your Side (Constitution), who was a three-length winner of the July 13 GIII Sanford S. for trainer Eddie Kenneally.

 

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