Wootton Asset Seeks First Stateside Victory In Kent

WILMINGTON, DE – Madaket Stables’ Wootton Asset will be seeking his first victory in North America in the $150,000 Kent Stakes (G3) at Delaware Park this Saturday. The French-bred son of Wootton Bassett will be making his 2021 debut in the 1 1/8-mile grass affair for 3-year-olds.

The Kent has been carded as the seventh race with an approximate post time of 4:15 PM and immediately precedes the Delaware Oaks (G3).

Last year, Wootton Asset posted a record of 2 wins and a second from 7 starts with earnings of $73,745. He made his first 4 career starts in France, where he won his career debut and followed with a victory. In his next 2 outings, he finished fourth and fifth in a pair of stakes.

In his stateside debut, the Graham Motion trainee ran second (beaten a neck) in Laurel Futurity at Pimlico. He followed with a pair of off-the-board efforts in the Awad at Belmont Park and Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar to close his 2020 campaign.

“I thought he ran well last year,” Motion said. “When we ran him in the Laurel Futurity, he basically ran off the plane. Since he had been running in France before he shipped to the United States, we really were not sure how many more races he had him and maybe the California race may have been 1 too many. He really came to the United States to run on firmer ground and the first time we ran him, in the Laurel Futurity, it was extremely soft but he ran well, extremely well. He had the winter off and I think he has grown up a lot.”

Gershwin, Yes This Time, Be Here, Like the King, Eamonn, and Doubleoseven are entered to face Wootton Asset should the race remain on turf. Shackled Love and Vikram are Main Track Only entries.