2022 Springboard Mile Preview & FREE Picks | Echo Again, Giant Mischief Set For Battle At Remington

Aaron previews the 2022 Springboard Mile Stakes from Remington Park, then gives his top picks & long shots from this prep race for the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1). Impressive early-season winners Echo Again and Giant Mischief are set to throw down, but can a local long shot spring the upset? Tell us YOUR thoughts in the Comments section!

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The track press release:

The $400,000 Springboard Mile headlines the final night of racing for the 2022 Thoroughbred Season at Remington Park, on Saturday, Dec. 17. A field of nine entered the richest local event for 2-year-olds with Echo Again made the 9-5 morning-line favorite.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds of Las Vegas and trained by the sport’s all-time leading trainer by wins, Steve Asmussen, Echo Again will be ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr. The colt by Gun Runner from the Tapit mare Teardrop, bred in Kentucky by his owner, seeks a rebounding effort in the Springboard. He was a well-beaten seventh, 14 lengths behind, as the heavy 3-5 favorite in the Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 17.

Asmussen has previously won the Springboard six times, most recently with Shoplifted in 2019. Santana was up for that score and seeks his second win in the Springboard. Winchell Thoroughbreds seeks its first victory in the race.

The other entrant to the race that has not competed this season at Remington Park is Giant Mischief from the barn of trainer Brad Cox. An Into Mischief colt, out of the Giant Oak mare Vertical Oak, Giant Mischief is undefeated after two starts, but has yet to race against stakes company. He broke his maiden for Cox at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Sept. 22 by 1-1/2 lengths and then beat an optional $100,000 allowance/claiming race field by three-quarters of a length at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., stretching out from 5-1/2 furlongs to seven furlongs. The Springboard will be his first stakes race.

Giant Mischief is 3-1 on the morning-line and will be ridden by Florent Geroux who seeks his first win in the Springboard. He finished fifth in 2018 aboard Marquee Prince in his only other attempt.

Local stakes winners seeking more glory in the Springboard include Campfire Creed (5-1) and Wildatlanticstorm (6-1). The pair have taken turns against each other with Campfire Creed winning the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes on Sept. 25, 1-3/4 lengths ahead of Wildatlanticstorm. Then in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes on Oct. 28, Wildatlanticstorm got up to win by a nose, catching his rival in the final stride at the line.

Ghost Hero, winner of the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile on Oct. 21 and the $75,000 Don McNeill Stakes on Nov. 11, both against Oklahoma-breds, is going for a third consecutive stakes triumph in the Springboard. Trained by Jayde Gelner, Ghost Hero is 15-1 on the morning-line.

The top earner in the Springboard Mile field is Wildatlanticstorm with $126,568 to his credit. The Iowa-bred by Stormy Atlantic also leads the field in victories as he is the only entrant with three career wins.

Trainer Todd Fincher saddled Senor Buscador to win the 2020 Springboard Mile and will attempt his second win in the stakes with American Outlaw (15-1). The colt by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will change equipment for the Springboard Mile, going without blinkers for the first time.

The field for the Springboard Mile, by post position and program order, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. Echo Again: Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 9-5 (morning-line favorite)
2. Gunflash: Karl Broberg, Cristian Torres, 15-1
3. Campfire Creed: Danny Pish, Gerardo Mora, 5-1
4. Lil Sweet Thang: Donnie Von Hemel, Luis Quinonez, 12-1
5. Giant Mischief: Brad Cox, Florent Geroux, 3-1
6. American Outlaw: Todd Fincher, Jose Alvarez, 15-1
7. Ghost Hero: Jayde Gelner: Floyd Wethey, Jr., 15-1
8. Money Run: Steve Asmussen, Stewart Elliott, 12-1
9. Wildatlanticstorm: Ray Ashford, Leandro Goncalves, 6-1

The Springboard Mile is a qualifying points race for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. In order to gain the points, a competitor may not use the medication Lasix. Those not utilizing Lasix, can earn 10 points for winning, four for second-place, three for third-place, two for fourth-place and one for fifth-place. The horses in the Springboard not using Lasix are Echo Again, Gunflash and Campfire Creed.

The Springboard Mile is the final race of 12 on Saturday. There are five other stakes events immediately preceding the grand finale, including:

Race 7, $70,000 Useeit Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, one mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 8, $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, 3-year-olds, one mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 9, $100,000 Trapeze Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, one mile

Race 10, $100,000 She’s All In Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and older, 1 mile-70 yards

Race 11, $100,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial, 3 and older, 1 mile-70 yards

The first race on Saturday, Dec. 17 is 5pm. Racing begins Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 14-16 at 7:07pm. All times are Central.