Asmussen tries to keep Booth rolling in Kelly's Landing

Stop if you’ve heard this before - a Steve Asmussen trainee is emerging into a top dirt sprinter. While Booth hasn’t yet reached the likes of Mitole, Kodiak Kowboy, Gunite, or Jackie’s Warrior, just to name a few, he is emerging in the male sprint division that lacks a clear leader. Saturday at Churchill Downs, Booth looks to extend his win streak in the Grade 3, $250,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes. 

While Asmussen hasn’t thrown Booth into the deep end yet, he has rattled off four straight wins, the last three coming in Grade 3 stakes. Booth, a 4-year-old by Mitole, started his win streak in February, taking the Commodore at Oaklawn by more than four lengths. Next, Booth won the Grade 3 Whitmore and Grade 3 Count Fleet, also at Oaklawn. Venturing out of Arkansas, Booth proved best again winning the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint at Pimlico. Booth also owns a win at Churchill, coming in a high-level allowance last December. With regular rider Erik Asmussen aboard, Booth will break from post 3 and is listed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite but will probably be bet down from there.   

Following that victory in the Maryland Sprint, Asmussen confirmed the notion of Booth becoming a top sprinter to Pimlico publicity. 

“He’s moving up the ladder. He’s making his dad, Mitole, proud. He showed a lot early in the fall of his 2-year-old year, just got out of rhythm, things not being ideal. Then for him to reach this form – I think that’s four stakes wins in a row at 4 – you think back that Mitole didn’t get great until he was 4.”

Competition for Booth in the Kelly’s Landing isn’t the stiffest, despite all of his seven rivals being stakes winners. Roll On Big Joe, winner of three of his last four, presents an intriguing contender, as he won the Grade 3 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita three back. While the competition in that race is questionable, Roll On Big Joe ran quick and has enough early speed to press Booth. Roll On Big Joe, 3-1 on the morning line, breaks one spot outside Booth with Julien Leparoux aboard. 

Perhaps the only member in the field quick enough to go with Booth is Otto the Conqueror, and while he’s quick, he probably won’t push Booth too fast, as he’s also trained by Asmussen. The 4-year-old’s lone stakes win came two years ago in the Springboard Mile, and since then, Otto the Conqueror has only won a Churchill allowance. Flavien Prat takes the mount from post 5.

Durante scored a massive upset in the Grade 3 Aristides at Churchill last out. At odds of 33-1, Durante broke quick and sat just off sizzling fractions, eventually rallying past tired horses in deep stretch. Speed figures for that race came back slow and Durante will likely need similar luck from the far outside post, with Jose Ortiz aboard for trainer David Jacobson. 

Red Flag was a promising juvenile back in 2020, taking the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar by more than seven lengths. Since then, Red Flag has yet to win another stakes and likely needs to get faster to compete Saturday. Red Flag will break from post 7 and Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride for trainer Bob Hess.

Happy Is a Choice has chased Durante and Booth recently and hasn’t won since December. The 5-year-old is cross-entered in a stakes at Laurel on Saturday. Three Technique certainly has some back class but hasn’t raced since finishing 12th of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Dr. Venkman, winner of the Grade 2 San Diego last year, completes the field as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line. 

Saturday’s loaded 12-race card begins at 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the Kelly’s Landing set as race 9 with a post time of 4:58 p.m. The card is highlighted by the Grade 1 Stephen Foster, which drew an ultra-competitive field of older horses.

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