Street Prancer talking to Jessica Gaskin about the Derby.
by George
Street Prancer has been looking for a perfect spot to run in. The Manitoba Derby fits the bill. And his Eclipse Award winning trainer Steve Asmussen certainly knows where to run his horses.
Asmussen currently ranks second in North America with 189 wins and $6,610,265 in purse earnings. He also ranks second all time in North America by number of wins with 6,823, and fifth in all-time purse earnings with $218,516,499.
Many fans will remember Asmussen for his wins in the Preakness Stakes-G1 with Curlin and super filly Rachel Alexandra. This year his stars include multiple Grade 1 winning filly Untapable, now 4-for-5 with earnings of $1,146,600.
Asmussen wouldn’t have Street Prancer in the Manitoba Derby if he didn’t think he had a big chance. The bay colt by 2007 Kentucky Derby-G1 winner Street Sense comes into this year’s Derby off a one-mile allowance win at Indiana Grand Race Course in which he dueled early and drew away late.
Well-seasoned, Street Prancer’s seven lifetime starts have all been at a mile or more at three different tracks including Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs.
Street Prancer is owned by construction magnate Mike McCarty, who has campaigned stakes winners such as 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint-G1 runner up Unbridled’s Note, as well as Private Vow and Storm Treasure, who both ran in the 2006 Kentucky Derby-G1.
Jalon Samuel will be in the saddle on Derby Day and he knows how to win the big races. The former apprentice champion from Barbados was a bonafide star in Barbados and Trinidad before venturing to North America last year, with wins that included the $250,000 Stewards Cup-G1 in Trinidad and the $200,000 Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup-G1.
Dangerous at a good price.