Max Player Tops Kentucky Derby Activity at Churchill

Though COVID-19 has changed much in racing this year, Steve Asmussen's training preparation leading into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) has maintained its usual routine.

At Churchill Downs Aug. 31, he watched his charge Max Player post a half-mile workout under exercise rider Juan Vargas in :49 4/5, the type of moderate breeze the Hall of Fame trainer regularly seeks from his stakes horses the Monday before a Saturday start. This followed a quicker five-furlong drill a week earlier in :59 3/5 that was more testing.

The Sept. 5 Derby, run without fans, will mark Max Player's first start for Asmussen. The 3-year-old son of Honor Code  was transferred to him after a third-place finish in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1). The colt, owned by George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds, also ran third in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and won the Withers Stakes (G3) in February for prior trainer Linda Rice.

Hall chose to move him to Asmussen after the Travers, saying he wanted to have the horse train at Churchill Downs. Asmussen has a large local division, while Rice is based in New York.

"Extremely excited about how he is going to run in the Derby," said Asmussen. "I love how he looks going over the racetrack here. He came in with a great attitude and traveling well and he still is."

Asmussen calls Tiz the Law, who is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Sept. 1 along with other horses from New York, a deserving favorite. Tiz the Law has twice decisively beaten Max Player—by 7 1/2 lengths in the Travers and 5 1/4 lengths in the Belmont.

The trainer has also beaten Tiz the Law, though with a different colt. Ed and Susie Orrs' Silver Prospector upset Tiz the Law in the last fall's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, a race in which Tiz the Law ran third with an inside trip when racing in the slop. Silver Prospector fell off the Derby trail this spring following a couple of distant stakes losses.

Asmussen said Monday the Tiz the Law's defeat "was a long time ago." Tiz the Law is 4-for-4 since.

Ricardo Santana Jr., the go-to rider for Asmussen, has picked up the mount on Max Player. The jockey also rode Silver Prospector in the Kentucky Jockey Club.

Santana is winless in five mounts in the 1 1/4-mile Derby. His best finish came last year when he rode Plus Que Parfait to run eighth last year. 

Asmussen, the winningest trainer in Churchill Downs history, is 0 for 20 in the Derby, though some of his starters have threatened. Nehro (2011) and Lookin At Lee (2017) were second for the trainer. Curlin  (2007) and Gun Runner  (2016) were both third. Curlin became a two-time Horse of the Year in 2007-08, and Gun Runner was honored with the same award in 2017.

Asmussen, 54, calls the Derby "the missing link" in his career. The second-winningest trainer of all time behind Dale Baird, he has captured the other legs of the Triple Crown. He won the Preakness in 2007 with Curlin and in 2009 with Rachel Alexandra, and captured the Belmont in 2016 with Creator.

"We're undefeated in September in the Derby," the trainer quipped, referring to his losses coming on the usual date on the first Saturday in May.

Max Player was the lone worker Monday among Kentucky Derby hopefuls. The other horses already at Churchill Downs either jogged or galloped.

Making his first appearance beneath the Twin Spires was Sole Volante, who arrived the previous morning after vanning to Churchill Downs from Florida. The Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) winner jogged beneath Andie Biancone, assistant to her father, Patrick Biancone.

Andie Biancone co-owns the Karakontie  gelding with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing.

He is unraced since finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes, a lackluster performance that came on short rest. He comes into the Kentucky Derby with more time, aimed to produce a better finish.

"He's never felt this good. I'm really hoping he runs a good race," Andie Biancone said. "It's just so amazing to be in the Kentucky Derby."

The prospective Derby field grew to 18 late Monday morning when Churchill Downs announced that longshot Mr. Big News would join the race. The Bret Calhoun-trained son of Giant's Causeway, owned by Chester Thomas' Allied Racing Stable, ran sixth in the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) in his last start. Earlier this year he won the Oaklawn Stakes under Gabe Saez, who will have the Derby mount.

"I know we don't have some of the numbers like Tiz the Law, Art Collector, and Honor A. P., but this horse is improving," Thomas said. "I think he is absolutely going to love the distance and will make a big run late."

Calhoun had been pointing Mr. Big News to the $500,000 American Turf Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2T) on the Derby undercard. The colt's last two works have been on grass.

"We've been keeping options open, and besides that, I think Chester got a bad case of Derby fever the last couple days," Calhoun quipped. "We're going to the Derby." 

Post positions for the Derby will be drawn at approximately 11:00 a.m. ET Tuesday.