Asmussen: Skelly Ready To Try Elite-Level Racing

After emerging in good order from his scintillating victory Saturday in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park, Skelly will climb the class ladder this summer and fall, trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday morning.

Skelly received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 103 for his front-running three-length victory in the Count Fleet Sprint. Under regular rider Ricardo Santana Jr., Skelly rocketed to the lead shortly after the start and coasted home in a meet-best time of 1:08.82 for six furlongs. The track was fast. Skelly’s blistering fractions included a :43.88 half-mile.

The meet’s previous best time for the distance, 1:09.38, also belonged to Skelly for a front-running 3¼-length victory in his 2024 debut, the King Cotton Stakes for older horses Feb. 3. The Count Fleet was Skelly’s first start since his seven-race winning streak was snapped with a runner-up finish in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) over 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia.

“Very fortunate to have him,” Asmussen said. “Believe it or not, he went to Saudi and came back faster. Speaks volumes about who he is.”

A regional star for more than a year – the gelding won four races at the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting, including the Count Fleet – Skelly is ready to hunt bigger game, Asmussen said.

“I think that the two main targets for the rest of the year are the Vanderbilt at Saratoga and Breeders’ Cup,” Asmussen said. “I do know I want to keep him at three-quarters of a mile.”

The $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) is July 27 at Saratoga. The $2-million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) is Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Mitole, who was trained by Asmussen, won the Count Fleet, ran third in the Vanderbilt and captured the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 2019 en route to an Eclipse Award as the nation’s champion male sprinter. Skelly has never started in a Grade 1 race.

Mitole compiled a 10-2-2 record from 14 lifetime starts. Skelly has a 9-4-0 record in 14 lifetime starts and earnings of $1,460,163. The 5-year-old son of Practical Joke is a five-time stakes winner. Skelly also won the $150,000 Lake Hamilton Stakes for older horses last May at Oaklawn. He is a seven-time winner in Hot Springs.

Skelly, who races for Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC (Chris Hicks), represented the record-extending seventh Count Fleet victory for Santana and the record-extending sixth for Asmussen.

Hicks purchased Skelly for $250,000 at the 2020 Fasig Tipton Kentucky Select Yearlings Showcase Sale.