Asmussen Goes Hollywood

Trainer Steve Asmussen has won more than 3,000 races in a career that has spanned almost 20 years, and his victories have come at a number of different racetracks.

One place he hasn’t won is Hollywood Park.

Asmussen, who comes from one of the country’s most famous racing families, hasn’t even started a horse in Inglewood in nearly six years. The last one was Vergennes, who finished fourth in the Hollywood Turf Cup on Dec. 2, 2000.

But that changes this weekend.

The stable, which currently has strings in Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas, New York and soon Illinois, will be back at Hollywood Park with a pair of 2-year-olds.

Sequoia King, who has one win in two starts, will compete in the $65,000-added Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes at five furlongs on Saturday. On the same card, Richwoman, who won her only start by seven lengths, will face seven other juvenile fillies in the $65,000-added Cinderella Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Asmussen, who has had numerous 2-year-old winners already this year, said the trip to California was necessitated after both Churchill Downs and Belmont Park eliminated some stakes for 2-year-olds.

“It left a void in the program,” Asmussen said by phone this week. “We’re sending those two horses out there because we think they are good enough and because we like both of them mentally.”

A $525,000 yearling purchase by Asmussen for Stonestreet Stables LLC, Sequoia King, a son of Forestry, was dominant in his debut victory. He won by 4 1/2 lengths as the 3-2 favorite over a muddy track April 19 at Keeneland.

Wheeled back two weeks later in the Kentucky Breeders’ Cup, a Grade III, on May 4, two days before the Kentucky Derby, he broke horribly from post one and was far back early as the 2-1 favorite.

Sequoia King made up ground in the stretch, but wound up sixth. Stablemate Datrick, the winner, beat him by a little more than nine lengths.

“He broke last from the one hole,” Asmussen said. “Obviously, we were disappointed. He’s trained nicely since and we’ll be trying to make amends for that debacle this weekend.”

A daughter of Successful Appeal and owned and bred by Bill Heiligbrodt’s Racing Stable, Richwoman won by seven lengths as the 19-10 favorite April 9 at Keeneland. She covered the 4 1/2 furlongs in 52 3/5 while only mildly urged by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, who will be at Hollywood Park to ride both horses.

“In her one start she did everything extremely well,” said Asmussen, who won a North American-record 555 races in 2004, breaking the mark of 496 set by Jack Van Berg in 1976. “The only thing about 2-year-old races is that you aren’t sure who you beat. Both horses have trained over different tracks and shipped previously, but not like this.

“This is their first time away from the house.”

Asmussen also said this group of 2-year-olds is deeper than previous crops and whether he will send more horses to California could depend on how things go this weekend.

“I’m sure a lot depends on our success or lack of it,” he said. “Both physically and mentally, we are sending out two very good horses.”

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Dr. Rick Arthur was named equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board earlier this week.

Arthur, who has been a practicing veterinarian locally for about 30 years, succeeds Dr. Ron Jensen, who retired last December.

In his position, Arthur will advise the board on matters relating to the health and welfare of horses as well as drug testing. He was chosen from among six candidates by a joint committee of the CHRB and the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis.

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On Wednesday, a new rule was implemented by the CHRB allowing for a consolation payoff in case of a scratch in a pick three. Previously, bettors were given the favorite in case of a scratch in the final two legs of a pick three. Now, a consolation will be paid to those who have a horse scratched in the second or third leg provided they had the winner in the first leg.

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Film Maker, who was scheduled to be flown to California today for a start in the $300,000 Gamely Breeders’ Cup Stakes on Monday at Hollywood Park, won’t be making the trip because of a problem with a quarter crack.

Trainer Graham Motion said the problem for the 6-year-old Dynaformer mare wasn’t too serious.

But he didn’t want to take any chances and will skip the Grade I. Film Maker, who has won seven of 23 and earned more than $1.37 million, is owned by Don Adams’ Courtlandt Farm.