NEWS
Big Numbers sneaking up on Snuck In
Posted: Saturday, April 01, 2000
Asmussen stablemates have the look of Derby horses; which Derby is the big question
Snuck In remains the leading Triple Crown prospect for trainer Steve Asmussen, but Big Numbers is quickly shrinking the gap between him and his stablemate.
Rebel S. (G3)
Oaklawn Park, March 25, $100,000, 11/16 miles, good, 1:42.99
1-SNUCK IN, c. 3, Montbrook-Love Child, by Mugassas.
2-Big Numbers, c. 3, Numerous-Halomatic, by Halo.
3-Fan the Flame, c. 3, Island Whirl-Horsafire, by Hold Your Peace.
The two finished a neck apart in the $100,000 Rebel Stakes (G3) on March 25 at Oaklawn Park, with Snuck In winning his three-year-old debut and Big Numbers finishing second, 4 1/4 lengths ahead of Fan the Flame in the 12-horse field. The stablemates' only previous encounters had come in morning workouts, the most recent of which occurred at Fair Grounds on March 21 when both worked five furlongs in 1:01.80.
It was interesting how they finished in the Rebel, Asmussen said. Snuck In got the first run at Big Numbers, the same way it looked when they were working four days earlier.
Triple Crown nominee Snuck In is a more finished product than Big Numbers, the Rebel marking his fourth stakes victory in eight career starts for brothers Robert and Leland Ackerley of Houston. The Ackerleys purchased the Montbrook colt for $130,000 at the 1999 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s February two-year-olds in training sale.
As a juvenile, Snuck In gained his maiden victory in his second start, which came in June at Churchill Downs. Bred in Florida, he won two divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes for two-year-olds at Calder Race Course, going six and seven furlongs, and then was given a break after winning the Galleryfurniture.com Juvenile Stakes in December at Sam Houston Race Park.
Big Numbers, although three months older than Snuck In, is more of a work in progress but one that is taking shape. In less than two months, the Numerous colt has progressed from fourth in Fair Grounds's Lecomte Handicap on January 29 to third in Oaklawn's Southwest Stakes on March 4 to second in the Rebel. Owners James Cassels and Robert Zollars, having rejected a sale offer after the Southwest, said they plan to nominate the colt to the Triple Crown.
"Big Numbers is moving forward," Asmussen said. "But I'm just so glad to get the other horse back running."
Snuck In was scratched from Fair Grounds's Risen Star Stakes, his projected three-year-old debut, after popping an abscess in his right front foot two days before the February 20 race. When the Louisiana Derby (G2) drew "a much tougher field than I wanted to bring him back against," Asmussen said, he shipped Snuck In to Oaklawn.
Next up is the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G2) on April 15 at Oaklawn. "He stays here," Asmussen said. Then, remembering that he had two three-year-olds of equal promise, he said, "Both stay here."
Although he said he would like to keep Snuck In and Big Numbers apart, Asmussen said: "The Arkansas Derby is $500,000, and if I can win it running five, I'd like to do it."
The Rebel turned into a two-horse race in the final furlong with 11-to-10 favorite Snuck In under left-handed pressure from Cash Asmussen, the trainer's brother, and Big Numbers, second choice at 3.80-to-1, responding to Donnie Meche's right-handed urging.
Although the finish was dramatic, Cash Asmussen said Snuck In had his stablemate measured. "He wasn't all out. He had something in reserve," said the five-time French riding champion who flew home on March 24 for the Rebel and for a horse sale in Texas.
"The race was a stepping stone for him. It was good to see that he could go the next step and not back up."
Snuck In fought Asmussen going into the first turn but then settled nicely into third position on the backstretch. "He's a very laid-back horse in the morning until he gets some competition," he said. "Then, he's a tiger. Steve's got him slowed down in the morning."
Snuck In loomed menacingly as Eli Lilliput pressured Southwest runner-up Fan the Flame through early fractions of :23.54 and :47.07. Big Numbers came from farther back but positioned himself nicely for the sprint home, both overtaking a tiring Fan the Flame leaving the three-sixteenths marker. "I was glad Donnie got Big Numbers up in the race early," Steve Asmussen said, mindful that Tim Doocy second-guessed himself for not doing so in the Southwest, when Big Numbers was third by three-quarters of a length.
Snuck In, who under the Rebel's allowance conditions carried top weight of 119 pounds, clocked the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.99 on a surface rated as good.
"Those are two nice horses that beat us," said Ron Morse, assistant to Fan the Flame trainer Randy Morse.
"I know they're Derby horses," Steve Asmussen said. "I just don't know if they're Kentucky Derby (G1) horses."
Referring to Snuck In, Cash Asmussen said, "A mile and an eighth (the Arkansas Derby distance) is definitely within his grasp. After that, a mile and a quarter (the Kentucky Derby) is in the laps of the gods."
Bob Wisener covers racing for the Hot Springs, Arkansas, Sentinel-Record.
