Admission Office edges heavy favorite at the wire in Louisville Stakes

Admission Office overcame the outside post, rallied wide in the stretch and narrowly edged 6-5 favorite Arklow by a head to win Saturday’s 83rd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs in thrilling fashion.

Trained by Brian Lynch, Admission Office covered 1 1/2 miles over firm turf in 2:27.25 — the second-fastest in the stakes’ history behind Simmard’s 2:27.16 in 2012 — under jockey Julien Leparoux.

Lombo dictated the pace early and led the field of 12 as Arklow galloped 5 lengths behind in sixth along the inside with Admission Office to his outside in seventh. Last year’s Louisville winner, Tiz a Slam, took over around the final turn with Arklow set to pounce just behind along the inside and Admission Office looming wide.

Admission Office poked his head in front at the top of the stretch while Arklow waited for room along the inside as Tiz a Slam faded. Arklow, after briefly brushing with Tiz a Slam, hit his best stride with a furlong to run but it was Admission Office who prevailed in a tight photo.

“We settled into a really nice spot early and he really liked the extra distance today,” Leparoux said. “He kept fighting the entire stretch.”

Florent Geroux, Arklow’s jockey, said, “He got in a good spot early and we got a little tight late on the hedge. He was responding the whole time and ran a big race.”

The victory was worth $57,660 and improved Admission Office’s career earnings to $432,957 with a record of 4-5-2 in 14 starts. It was the first career stakes win for Admission Office.

“He’s been crying out for some more ground and a lot of his previous races he just seemed to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time,” Lynch said. “He’s run some big races to get beat just a head and a neck. Arklow is an outstanding horse and it was a great battle today. Thankfully we had our head down at the right time on the wire. He’s a well-accomplished horse and this will open the door up to more turf marathon races in the future.”

She’s a keeper

The longest shot in the field scored an upset win in the feature race at Belmont Park on Saturday.

She’s a Julie chased down Ollie’s Candy and held off favored Point of Honor to win the Grade 1, $300,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes by a nose. The 5-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality broke from the gate at 14-1 odds and held on at the wire to score her second victory of 2020 and the fifth graded stakes win of her career.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, She’s a Julie earned an automatic berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 7 at Keeneland as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

She’s a Julie made amends for a poor result her last time out in the Shawnee at Churchill Downs, where she hopped in the air at the start, got out of position and was beaten 13 1/4 lengths.

Guided by jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., She’s a Julie broke from post 3 in the six-horse field. She sat one length behind pacesetter Blamed, who recorded an opening quarter mile in 22.84 seconds with Ollie’s Candy and stablemate Golden Award to her outside second and third, respectively. Blamed extended her advantage to a length but began tailing off as the field came around the far turn and She’s a Julie, under a hard drive by Santana Jr., made a three-wide move.

“Everybody put a lot of effort into this filly. Steve (Asmussen) said he wanted me to go to New York,” said Santana Jr., who has guided She’s a Julie in her last 14 starts. “She’s doing well. I worked her and we were really happy with her. Steve knows what he’s doing and I always listen to him. Today, she was feeling good.”

New King of Churchill

Steve Asmussen surpassed Louisville native Dale Romans as the all-time winningest trainer in Churchill Downs history when his 4-year-old filly Drop Dead Gorgeous cruised to a 8 1/2-length victory in Friday’s opening race, giving him victory No. 738 at the historic track.

“If anyone knows American horse racing, they know what Churchill Downs means to the sport,” Asmussen said. “This is a very significant honor. I know the people who have been in this spot before, and been here consistently, and for us to have won the most races is a very proud accomplishment.”

Asmussen, 54, tied Romans for the title on Thursday. Romans was the record-holder since Nov. 12, 2017, when he surpassed Bill Mott, who was Churchill Downs’ all-time leader for more than 31 years.

Asmussen also won Friday’s second race with 2-year-old colt Hulen for win No. 739.

Asmussen’s first Churchill Downs stakes winner came with a horse that helped put him on the national map. Valid Expectations gave Asmussen his first two graded stakes wins in 1996: the Grade 3 Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Sport Page Handicap at Aqueduct.

This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 8:23 PM.