“You have to be in it to win it” is one of the oldest adages in horse racing.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has always taken that proverb to heart. Case in point: the $300,000 Springboard Mile on Saturday night at Remington Park.
Asmussen sends out three of the 12 runners in the race for 2-year-olds: Spice Runner, the 3-1 favorite; Time for Music, the 9-2 third choice, and Way Beyond, a 12-1 proposition.
For Asmussen, quantity has traditionally produced quality. Asmussen is the sport’s all-time leader with over 11,000 training wins. The late Dale Baird is a distant second with 9, 445.
To reach that lofty total, Asmussen has saddled over 55,000 starters.
It’s no different at Remington in Oklahoma City, where the 2025 season concludes with the Springboard. Asmussen long ago clinched the training title with 68 wins, leaving runner-up Joe Offolter in the dust with his 29 victories.
So, should we simply hand the Springboard trophy to Asmussen now? Not so fast.
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As the name suggests, the Springboard can be a launch pad into next year’s Triple Crown chase. The Springboard winner earns 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1), not enough to guarantee entry into the race but a foundation to build on.
So, let’s examine the field, starting with the Asmussen trio.
Spice Runner looked like a colt on the rise with a narrow win in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in mid-September.
To be frank, the two efforts since then have been dismal: a 12 ¾ length loss in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland and a 15-length trouncing in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) last month back at Churchill.
Both times, Spice Runner broke out of the starting gate poorly and paid the price.
This could be the spot where he regroups, but it doesn’t pay to find out at a short price.
Time for Music scored his maiden win two starts back and most recently rallied for second in an allowance race at Churchill.
Not a bad resume, but far from enticing.
Way Beyond was an even fourth last time out in a 7 ½-furlong stakes at Delta Downs. He is unproven at the distance and on the class scale.
We always respect Asmussen, and you fail to do so at your wagering peril … but this looks like a spot where we can take a shot.
Ken McPeak ships in Supreme Good off a maiden score, an off-the-turf dominant win in the mud at Aqueduct. The Ireland-bred’s future is probably on grass, but he certainly has the stamina to be a factor here at an enticing 8-1.
The most promising upset prospect is Essential Time for trainer Danny Pish. The gelding has made all three starts at Remington, so give him a home-field advantage.
Pish has skillfully stretched out the distances to set up Essential Time for this spot. He debuted with a rallying second at 6 furlongs in early September, followed by a last-to-first upset in the Clever Trevor Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs.
His final tuneup was a closing third in an allowance race going 7 ½ furlongs on the grass.
For a tempting 6-1 price, we get a local horse who is already a proven stakes winner employing that often successful turf-to-dirt angle.
Sounds good to us.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
