Barn Notes 4/25/25

Compiled by Robert Yates

Plans are firm for two Oaklawn stakes winners trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.

Asmussen said Friday morning that millionaire Skelly will make his next start in the $200,000 Lake Hamilton Stakes May 2 at Oaklawn, while lightly raced Clever Again is pointing to the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, May 17 at Pimlico.

Skelly has won nine consecutive Oaklawn starts (all at six furlongs), including the Lake Hamilton in 2023 and 2024. Skelly opened his 6-year-old campaign with a dazzling allowance victory April 11 at Oaklawn under regular rider Ricardo Santana Jr. Skelly led by seven lengths through a :44.75 half-mile and coasted home to win by 5 ¼ lengths. The final time of 1:09.27 over a fast track generated a 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Still freak fast, isn’t he?” Asmussen said.

Skelly is seeking his sixth career Oaklawn stakes victory. He also won the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) in 2023 and 2024 and the $150,000 King Cotton in 2024. Whitmore, the country’s champion male sprinter of 2020, and Swift Ruler share the Oaklawn record for career stakes victories (seven).

Clever Again, a son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, has won two of three career starts for his high-profile owners – Winchell Thoroughbreds (Ron and Joan Winchell), Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

Clever Again has won his two starts this year, both at Oaklawn, by a combined 7 ¼ front-running lengths. In his two-turn debut (1 1/16 miles), Clever Again broke his maiden by 3 ¼ lengths Feb. 23 and won the one-mile $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes by four lengths over Gaming March 30. A Grade 1 winner, Gaming was a finalist for an Eclipse Award as the country’s champion 2-year-old male of 2024.

Clever Again is one of several promising 3-year-olds for Asmussen, who also has Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Tiztastic, Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Publisher and Risen Star (G2) winner Magnitude. Tiztastic and Publisher are scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby. Magnitude was knocked off the Kentucky Derby trail by an injury.

“He’s a talented horse,” Asmussen said of Clever Again. “Obviously, the measurements or rulers that we’re using, the company that he’s kept, which is Tiztastic, Publisher, Magnitude, they’ve all been good company for a long time, so you’re very confident in what level they belong.”

Asmussen said next-race plans are pending for Booth and Ryvit, two other Oaklawn stakes-winning older sprinters he trains.

Booth, a 4-year-old son of champion Mitole, has blossomed this season at Oaklawn with three consecutive front-running stakes victories ($145,000 Commodore Overnight Feb. 24, $250,000 G3 Whitmore March 15 and the Count Fleet April 12). All three races were six furlongs. Booth ran the fastest six furlongs of the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting (1:08.64) in winning the Commodore Overnight by 4 ¾ lengths.

“He had four races on top of each other,” Asmussen said. “Had an extremely successful Oaklawn meet, but his next start is undecided.”

After being unchallenged in the Commodore Overnight and Whitmore, Booth faced early pace pressure from Grade 2 winner Anarchist in the Count Fleet and was still able to hold off stablemate Ryvit by three-quarters of a length. Anarchist finished third.

“He ran extremely fast in the two previous races, with everything his own way,” Asmussen said. “And then it was very satisfying for him to accept the level of pressure he did in the Count Fleet and still prevail.”

Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Saturday for the Lake Hamilton and the $175,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters May 2 at Oaklawn. Ryvit, a Lake Hamilton nominee, won the 2023 Bachelor.

Finish Lines

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is scheduled to work Saturday morning at Oaklawn, his final major move before his scheduled comeback in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. The Lake Ouachita is May 3 at Oaklawn. … Eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. won Thursday’s second race at Oaklawn aboard You Vee Cee ($8.40), pushing the jockey’s career North American total (United States, Canada and Puerto Rico) to 1,998, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Santana rode You Vee Cee for trainer Kevin Martin. … Newcomer Abel Cedillo recorded his first career Oaklawn riding triple Thursday, winning the fifth race aboard Julliard ($10) for trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs, sixth race aboard Last Diamond ($92.60) for trainer Kelly Von Hemel and the ninth and final race aboard Auto Glide ($9.40) for trainer Greg Compton. Cedillo, who owns riding titles in northern and Southern California, joined the Oaklawn riding colony earlier this month.