A fringe player on last year’s Triple Crown trail, the Steve Asmussen trainee has stamped himself as a legitimate GI Breeders’ Cup Classic threat in two strong efforts at 10 furlongs, and earned an automatic berth into the year-end championship event Saturday as part of the “Win and You’re In” series.
Forza Di Oro cut the corner and briefly looked like he might open back up, but Max Player hit his stride by midstretch and powered away from there, relishing the real estate, to post the four-length victory.
“It was beautiful,” said Asmussen, who took this historic event in both 2007 and 2008 with fellow Hall of Famer Curlin and again in 2010 when it was contested at Belmont Park.
Saturday, Saratoga JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP S.-GI, $955,000, Saratoga, 9-4, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:02.49, ft.
Overcoming a tendency to start slow in his early outings, Max Player finished fast to take the GIII Withers S.
GIII Pimlico Special S.
“I really thought we had a chance with him at Churchill , the way he was training over the track,” Asmussen said.
“We went back with him to the gate and started from a hand open, just to leave the gates.
This has certainly been a meet to remember for Asmussen, who became the all-time winningest trainer in North America last month.
To set the record here and this is the third Grade I win of the meet.
As for the beaten favorite, trainer Bill Mott said, “I’m disappointed that he didn’t get the 10 furlongs.
Sire Honor Code displayed his own affinity for the Spa, earning ‘TDN Rising Star’ status for a debut score on the closing Saturday card in 2013 before adding the GI Whitney S.
Dam Fools in Love was an $80,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling who racked up a sizable bankroll herself on the track, but has proven even more valuable in the breeding shed.
Not For Love is the broodmare sire of four Grade I winners , including dual Horse of the Year California Chrome, a fellow A.P.