Asmussen, Bridgmohan team up to sweep Santa Sprint Saturday

Sok Sok was in a league of his own in the Sugar Bowl (Lou Hodges Jr. Photo/Courtesy of Fair Grounds Race Course)

Santa Claus came early for Steve Asmussen and Shaun Bridgmohan at Fair

Grounds, as the trainer/jockey tandem swept all four stakes races on the

inaugural Santa Sprint Saturday program. Overall, the pair teamed up to win a

total of six races on the card. Asmussen's six-timer set a Fair Grounds record

for wins by a trainer on a single card, while Bridgmohan became the ninth jockey

in track history to ride six winners on one day.

Asmussen juveniles threw down the gauntlet with a pair of crushing

victories in the first two stakes. In the $99,000

Sugar

Bowl S., Savorthetime Stables' SOK SOK (Trippi) tracked in second through

splits of :21 4/5 and :45 2/5 before cruising to the front at the top of the

stretch. Kicking into overdrive, the chestnut colt quickly opened up on the

field and ultimately crossed the wire 8 3/4 lengths the best. The 4-5 favorite

reeled off six furlongs in a sparkling 1:09 2/5 on the fast track to record his

second career stakes victory.

"This horse is very athletic," Bridgmohan said. "If you need him to be there

(near the pace), he'll be there. This is a very straightforward horse. He does

what you ask him to do."

Sok Sok paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.20 while spearheading exotics worth $24

(exacta), $92.60 (trifecta) and $987.20 (4-8-6-1 superfecta). Liberty Bull (Holy

Bull) rallied to finish second, with 2 3/4 lengths to spare over Ben and the

Twin (Storm Boot). The early leader, Harlans Fortune (Harlan's Holiday),

salvaged fourth.

Blitzing never had an anxious moment when wiring the field in the Letellier (Lou Hodges Jr. Photo/Courtesy of Fair Grounds Race Course)

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and JMJ Racing Stable's BLITZING (Montbrook) put on

a similarly dominant display in the companion event for fillies, the $100,000

Letellier Memorial S. Sent straight to the front by Bridgmohan, the

even-money choice set fractions of :21 3/5 and :45 1/5. Like Sok Sok, Blitzing

delivered the coup de grace in the stretch, drawing 7 1/2 lengths clear at the

line while stopping the teletimer in 1:10 3/5 for six furlongs.

"She has been here since the beginning of November, and she has been training

wonderfully," Asmussen said of Blitzing. "She has changed the most physically.

She has just matured."

Blitzing rewarded her many supporters with mutuels of $4.20, $2.40 and $2.10.

Syriana's Song (Indian Charlie) got up for second, and La Wildcat (Forest

Wildcat) checked in another length back in third. The exacta totaled $12.80, the

trifecta was good for $132.60, and the 2-3-11-7 superfecta ballooned to $2,812

with Roseaguska (Yonaguska) staying on for a well-beaten fourth.

Tres Dream was the only one of the stakes-winning quartet who did not go off as the favorite (Lou Hodges Jr. Photo/Courtesy of Fair Grounds Race Course)

Savorthetime Stables' sophomore filly TRES DREAM (Chester House) kept the

streak going with a 2 3/4-length score over older distaffers in the $99,000

Esplanade S. Last of eight after the opening quarter in :21 4/5, the bay

gradually improved her position and reached striking range in upper stretch.

Tres Dream took a while to find her best stride, but once Bridgmohan got her

going, she drove to a convincing score in a final time of 1:04 3/5 for 5 1/2

furlongs.

Dispatched as the nearly 5-2 second choice, Tres Dream returned $6.80, $3.40

and $3. Chatham (Maria's Mon) held on for second by 2 1/2 lengths, with Valid

Lil (Valid Expectations) third and 3-2 favorite Atlanta Highway (Chief Seattle)

fourth. The exotics paid $45.60 (exacta), $207.20 (trifecta) and $547.60

(8-9-6-4 superfecta).

With this second career stakes coup on her resume, Tres Dream sports a mark

of 12-5-2-1, $231,970. She had previously captured the Ponca City S. by 5 1/4

lengths at Remington Park and just missed by a nose in the Inaugural S. at

Presque Isle Downs. The Kentucky-bred was produced by multiple stakes queen

Dreamy Maiden (Meadowlake).

Stormin Baghdad put the crowning touch on a record-breaking day for Asmussen (Lou Hodges Jr. Photo/Courtesy of Fair Grounds Race Course)

Bridgmohan was only biding his time, however, for he clearly had plenty of

horse left for the stretch run. Stormin Baghdad kept plugging away on the

inside, clawed his way to the front and began to inch clear, but he wasn't safe

quite yet. A big danger erupted on the rail in the shape of Asmussen's other

runner, Natural Speed (Orientate), who was finishing strongly. Stormin Baghdad

wouldn't yield to his stablemate, prevailing by a half-length while completing 5

1/2 furlongs in 1:04.

The winner gave back $6.80, $3.80 and $2.80, and Natural Speed concluded the

all-Asmussen exacta worth $88.20. Another half-length back came Going Wild

(Golden Missile) in third, rounding out the $295.20 trifecta. With Orphan

Brigade (Roar) reporting home fourth, the 3-7-1-10 superfecta totaled $1,943.60.

Stormin Baghdad was exiting a narrow victory over Going Wild in the

Thanksgiving H. on opening day at Fair Grounds. Third in the Kentucky Cup Sprint

S. (G3) earlier this fall, the Kentucky-bred colt now brandishes a scorecard of

13-6-3-1 with $229,542. He is the first foal from the unraced Skip to Baghdad

(Skip Away).

Earlier on the card, Asmussen and Bridgmohan teamed up to win the 2ND and 3RD

races, both claiming events.

"It was a great day, an absolutely great day," Bridgmohan summed up. "Thanks

to Steve and his crew, this was a phenomenal day."