Another Grade I day for Asmussen

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the last week, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has owned the winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course.

At least when Grade I races have been run.

Sunday, with a chill in the air under gray skies, Asmussen showed the way in the Grade I, $300,000 Spinaway when his Echo Zulu cruised past the finish line as an easy four-length winner.

A Sunday giveaway crowd of 36,403 pushed the Saratoga season attendance past a million for the sixth straight season. Through 39 days, the unofficial paid attendance total is 1,023,609.

"The season went great," Dave O'Rourke, the president and CEO of the New York Racing Association said. "The numbers speak for themselves. The fans came out, the town was packed. "

Asmussen won't win the training title, but he certainly had one of the most impressive seasons by any trainer this year. The Spinaway was his fourth Grade I win in the past seven racing days. He won the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Saturday with Max Player and, on Travers day Aug. 28, his horses won the $500,000 Allen Jerkens (Jackie's Warrior) and $600,000 Forego (Yaupon).

Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., who rode Echo Zulu, was also on the other three Asmussen Grade I winners.

The last time a trainer won four Grade I races in a Saratoga meet was Kiaran McLaughlin, who did it in 2012. Trainer Todd Pletcher holds the record for Grade Is at the Spa. He won five of them in 2010. Asmussen has one more chance to equal Pletcher's record on Monday. He will saddle Gunite in the Grade I Hopeful on closing day.

Winning the Spinaway with Echo Zulu had special meaning for Asmussen. The sire of the filly is 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who Asmussen also trained. Gun Runner is also the sire of Gunite.

"I can't measure how much I wanted to have Gun Runner's first Grade I winner," Asmussen said. "Everything he has done for the barn ... he's obviously a tremendous sire and somebody had to be first. I'm glad it was us."

Echo Zulu's Spinaway win also helped Asmussen get to his highest win total for training wins at Saratoga. He now has 18.

Earlier in the meet, he set the record for most career wins for a trainer when he notched victory No. 9,446.

Echo Zulu broke her maiden here by 5 1/2 lengths opening day. In the Spinaway, she went off as the 3-5 favorite and took the lead from the start and was too fast for the other eight juvenile fillies. She zipped the first quarter-mile in 22.07 seconds and the half in 44.73 seconds.

Santana and Echo Zulu were just cruising through the seven furlongs and, in the stretch, they just ran away. The final time was 1:22.51 over a track labeled as good. Echo Zulu paid $3.30, $2.90 and $2.50.

"I had plenty in the tank," Santana said. "I never hit her. She was running on strong."

"She is really good, you can't take anything away from her," Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who was second with 19-1 Tarabi, said. 

Pretty Birdie, who was an impressive winner of the Adirondack on opening day, was eased at the end of the race and jockey Luis Saez allowed her to walk home. Pretty Birdie is owned by Marylou Whitney Stables, which is named for the late Saratoga Springs socialite. Her husband, John Henderickson, kept her name on the stable to keep her name alive.

"Luis said he pressed her a little bit and the three-eighths pole and she wasn't responding, so he just wrapped up with her and took care of her," trainer Norman Casse said. "I watched her jog back and she's sound." .