Asmussen-Trained Clever Again Works for Preakness Stakes

LOUISVILLE, KY – While better-known stablemates Tiztastic and Publisher were working at Churchill Downs Sunday morning for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (G1), trainer Steve Asmussen also sent out Oaklawn Park’s Hot Springs Stakes winner Clever Again for an important work for the 150th Preakness Stakes (G1) in Baltimore.

“I think Clever Again is like Publisher and Magnitude and Tiztastic,” Asmussen said, with Magnitude missing the Derby due to being sidelined after winning the Fair Grounds’ Risen Star (G2) at 43-1 odds. “He’s been keeping that company his whole life. When you’re afforded the opportunity to train horses like that you realize what they are capable of and what they should and shouldn’t go in.”

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Clever Again worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:00 2/5 seconds early in the morning. 

“Solid work. The racetrack is in very good shape,” said Asmussen, who won the 2007 and 2009 Preakness with Horses of the Year Curlin and the filly Rachel Alexandra. “I think he’ll actually do a little more next week.”

The son of 2015 Triple Crown hero American Pharoah is 2 for 3. Clever Again debuted last year on April 21, finishing second by a head at 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland. He resumed racing Feb. 23, leading all the way at 1 1/16 miles in an Oaklawn maiden race to prevail by three lengths. He followed that March 30 in the $200,000 Hot Springs, conducted at a two-turn mile, with another wire-to-wire performance to prevail by four lengths over last year’s Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner Gaming.

“I think the farther he goes, the better he’ll be,” Asmussen said. “He’s very quick, but he has a tremendous cruising speed. I don’t think we’ve been anywhere near the bottom of him. He ran a very fast race at a mile and a sixteenth. Don’t think the distance will be any issue.”

Clever Again has the same ownership combination as Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Tiztastic, with Winchell Thoroughbreds owning 50 percent and the other half owned by the partnership of Mrs. John Magnier Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

“Off of the Hot Springs and the number that he ran and beating a Grade 1 winner in there, it was easy to make a decision on what would be next for him,” Asmussen said of Clever Again and the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.

Other horses being considered for the Preakness not running in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby include Gosger, Bracket Buster, and Built.