Easy Day for Epicenter After Breakthrough Travers Win

To the victor goes the spoils, and for Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Epicenter , his reward for a dominant performance was a leisurely morning in his stall Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course.

"He's doing really well and we're wonderfully happy this morning," trainer Steve Asmussen said about the Winchell Thoroughbreds' colt. 

Entering the Aug. 27 Travers, the son of Not This Time   stood atop the 3-year-old male division with a trio of grade 2 wins and seconds in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) headlining his resume. Now, with a 5 1/4-length victory over multiple grade 1-winner Cyberknife  added to the accolades, it's hard to picture anyone bumping him out of the way to claim the division's Eclipse Award.

"This horse has been solid all year and (the Travers) was the breakout performance he needed, and he did it in an emphatic way," Asmussen said. "He put everything together on a grand stage."

With the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) 10 weeks away Nov. 5 at Keeneland, there could be time for another start before the World Championships in Kentucky. Yet after Epicenter's impressive win in the July 30 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) off a 10-week break from the Preakness, it's likely he will not race again until he faces his elders for the first time in the Classic.

"It's very doable," Asmussen said of training up to the Classic. "We'll talk with (owner Ron Winchell) and (racing manager David Fiske) and watch how he goes back to the racetrack and see how he's doing. How well he ran in the Jim Dandy off the break gives us a tremendous amount of confidence to train him up to the Classic."

While the son of the Candy Ride   mare Silent Candy bred by Westwind Farms may not race again until November, the good news for racing fans is that Winchell said earlier this week he has no plans to retire Epicenter at the end of the year and intends to race him as a 4-year-old if he remains in good health.

"We've fielded a lot of phone calls on Epicenter, but I'm not doing anything. My initial response has been if he keeps running at a top level, we will run him next year and then we'll figure out the breeding. That's my standard operation. We didn't retire Gun Runner   at the end of his 3-year-old campaign and we're not looking to do it with this guy. I'm hoping that he has a big 4-year-old season, just like Gun Runner," said Winchell, who campaigned Gun Runner into his 5-year-old season with Asmussen.

'Pretty Significant' Tongue Injury for Clairiere 

Even though Epicenter provided Asmussen with his first Travers win, Saturday had its share of disappointment as well for the Hall of Famer, with both Clairiere  and Jackie's Warrior  suffering defeats as betting favorites in grade 1 stakes.

Asmussen said Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere came out of a last-place finish in the five-horse Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) with a "pretty significant" cut on her tongue after hitting the front of the starting gate. The filly was fractious in the gate and after the incident trailed throughout, finishing 9 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Malathaat , whom she defeated in their last two meetings.

"We will doctor (the tongue) and heal it up before she resumes normal training, but other than that she's in good physical shape," Asmussen said.

The injury could impact the multiple-grade 1 winner's feeding, so Asmussen could not speculate on when the homebred Curlin   4-year-old would return to the races.

As for J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, Asmussen said he was simply outrun by Godolphin's Cody's Wish  while finishing second in the Forego Stakes (G1) at odds of about 1-9 and losing for the first time in six Saratoga starts.

"He came out of the race extremely well physically," Asmussen said about the multiple grade 1-winning son of Maclean's Music  . "Sometimes you have no control over how fast the other guys run."

Asmussen said the champion sprinter's next and final race before beginning his career as a stallion at Spendthrift Farm will be the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), also Nov. 5 at Keeneland, where he will attempt to atone for a sixth-place finish as the 1-2 favorite in the 2021 edition.

Life Is Good 'Leaning' Toward Start in Woodward 

The upcoming Belmont at the Big A meet may present a new wrinkle for New York racing fans, but it could wind up showcasing the nation's top-ranked runner.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday he is "leaning" toward keeping multiple grade 1 winner Life Is Good  in New York and running him Oct. 1 in the two-turn, 1 1/8-mile $500,000 Woodward Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack as a final prep for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The son of Into Mischief  , who is ranked No. 1 in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 10 poll, breezed four furlongs in :50 at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 26 for owners CHC and WinStar Farm.

"Life Is Good is doing excellent. He had a good breeze on Friday," Pletcher said. "We haven't decided for sure, but we're leaning toward the Woodward."

Other options for the $4 million earner have been mentioned as the Oct. 1 $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) at Churchill Downs or training up to the Nov. 5 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland.

Bred by Gary and Mary West out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk, Life Is Good is coming off a victory in the Aug. 6 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and owns victories in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by 1/ST BET (G1) and the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Trainer Proud of Rich Strike's Travers Effort

Early Sunday afternoon, trainer Eric Reed was on the road, somewhere near Columbus, Ohio. He, along with his assistant Sid Scott, were on the way home to Lexington the day after their 3-year-old colt Rich Strike ran a brave race in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and finished fourth. 

With any luck, he might have been second. He was beaten less than a length by Cyberknife and Zandon  as the three horses slugged it out for the place spot behind runaway Travers winner Epicenter.

"He ran great," Reed said by phone. "I didn't think we were going to beat Epicenter, but I truly believe we were the second-best horse. He was second best. I was very proud of him. He showed tremendous courage around the turn. He lost ground at the quarter pole and he came back. You don't see a lot of horses lose ground in the stretch and then come back like he did."

Rich Strike, a son of Keen Ice owned by RED TR-Racing, shocked the racing world when he won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at odds of 80-1 on the first Saturday in May. He came back to earth five weeks later when he was sixth in the eight-horse Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) June 11.

"I had to live 10 weeks hoping I could get him the credibility he deserved," Reed said. "I think he should have gotten that Saturday.

Rich Strike was scheduled to leave Saratoga and van back to Lexington later Sunday. Reed said there is nothing firm on Rich Strike's schedule for future races.

"We will get him home and we'll try to figure something out," Reed said. "He is getting better and we want to run him as a 4-year-old."

Reed did say the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland would be an option, but was not going to be close to committing to it. He also mentioned the $750,000 Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs Nov. 25 as an option.

"We have to look and see how we want to move forward with him," Reed said. "Races are always an option until they are not. We think he is going to get better and be a good 4-year-old. We really think he has a great future. It would be wonderful if we could come back to Saratoga next year and run in the Whitney!"

Zito Happy to Stand in for Mattress Mack

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito was asked to do a favor for Texas businessman Jim McIngvale, better known as "Mattress Mack." Zito was in the winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course representing McIngvale after the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) Saturday to present the trophy to the connections of the winner, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter.

McIngvale owned Runhappy during his racing career.

"It was an honor for me," Zito said. "Mattress Mack loves the tradition of Saratoga and is very respected."

Zito was also part of the winner's circle celebration for the 2021 Travers when New York State governor Kathy Hochul presented the trophy to the connections of Essential Quality  .

Epicenter, according to Zito, is one of McIngvale's favorite horses.

"I bought him his first horse many years ago," Zito said. "He told me it was too bad Epicenter could not win the (Kentucky) Derby because he had bet $4 million to win on him."

When asked if Mattress Mack had bet Epicenter in the Travers, Zito smiled.

"I'm sure he did," he said.