Steve Asmussen is the all-time leading trainer in wins in North America with more than 9,900, eight of which came in the Breeders’ Cup. He’ll be looking to add to his totals with nine entrants this year.

PRIVATE CREED (Juvenile Turf Sprint):  A son of Jimmy Creed, this colt has won three of four starts including the Indian Summer Stakes over the Keeneland turf course.

“He is not what you expect from a turf sprinter - big, tall, long-legged, big-strided horse that has continued to have success in turf sprints,” Asmussen said. “With his win here, it made this a very obvious race. If they’re backing up a little bit, he’ll have something to say about it.”

GRAND LOVE (Juvenile Fillies): A daughter of Gun Runner, this filly won her debut sprinting at Saratoga before finishing third after setting the pace, getting bumped in the stretch and ultimately finishing third in the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at 1 1-16 miles at Churchill Downs.

“Her ability and demeanor and who she is physically reminds us a lot of Society,” Asmussen said, referring to one of his Grade 1 winners entered in the BC Distaff. “She had a pretty easy victory in a maiden race and stretching out to two turns on a racetrack not playing conducive to where she was, I thought she ran well. She got a lot out of it and she has trained very impressively here. She’s an extremely talented filly that I wouldn’t count out of anything.” 

ECHO ZULU (Filly and Mare Sprint): Capped an undefeated two-year-old championship campaign with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last year.

This year, she attempted to stretch out in distance, winning the Fair Grounds Oaks by a nose then running fourth in the Kentucky Oaks. After being scratched from the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park due lameness, recognized by track veterinarians during the warm-up, Echo Zulu was given the summer off.

She returned with a 5 1-4-length victory in the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes going seven furlongs at Churchill in mid-September solidifying her bid in the Filly and Mare Sprint, also at seven furlongs.

“I think it’s as obvious as the sun up in the sky that she’s a one-turn horse, just brilliant at it,” Asmussen said. “Instead of finding what she couldn’t do, it’s great to get back at what she excels at.”

WICKED HALO (Filly and Mare Sprint): Another daughter of Gun Runner, this three-year-old filly has strung together four consecutive victories including a four-length score in the Grade 2 Raven Run going seven furlongs at Keeneland.

“She deserves this opportunity,” Asmussen said. “She was a little slow to get into stride this year. Her third in the Eight Belles at Churchill was a solid run, but she was 12-1 in there. Since then, she’s been in the right spots and I think winning has given her a new-found confidence. If anything, her Raven Run was her visually most impressive race to date.”

GUNITE (Dirt Mile): With stablemate Jackie’s Warrior earmarked for the Sprint, Gunite is pointing to the Mile coming off victories going seven furlongs in the Harrods Creek at Churchill and Perryville at Keeneland.

He has four wins and two seconds in six starts this year. His only previous try at a Mile came in the Grade 1 Champagne last autumn when he finished fifth behind Jack Christopher.

“He’s got four triple-digit Beyers in a row, his best number (106) being here over the Keeneland surface,” Asmussen said. “This will be his first two-turn race, but as we saw he handles the Keeneland surface well.”

JACKIE’S WARRIOR (Sprint): The only thing lacking from this potential Hall of Famer’s record is a Breeders’ Cup win. He has won 11 graded stakes, five Grade 1s and became the first horse in the graded-stakes era to win a Grade 1 race three consecutive years at Saratoga when he captured the Alfred G. Vanderbilit in July.

He was upset by Cody’s Wish in the Grade 1 Forego, but that was at seven furlongs. His only loss going six came in the 2021 BC Sprint, a race from which he emerged with an injury. In his only prior start at Keeneland, he finished fourth in the 2020 BC Juvenile, but that race was around two turns.

“I don’t think the whole barn could want anything more than to have this horse get a Breeders’ Cup victory,” Asmussen said. “He’s just fast. He’s very impressive physically as well.”

CLAIRIERE (Distaff):  Fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff this year, Clairiere won three of her first four starts this year including the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps and Grade 2 Shuvee, beating Malathaat in both races.

She acted up in the gate prior to the official start of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign and finished last of five, coming out of the race with a laceration on her tongue. That has since healed and Clairiere has been training with a purpose leading up to this.

“It’s quite obvious how impressive she’s been training, how she looks and how she’s going,” Asmussen said. “If anything, we need to get the real Clairiere on Saturday and be happy that happened last time and not this time. She has had several schooling session at the gates.”

SOCIETY (Distaff): A 3-year-old daughter of Gun Runner, this filly is 5 for 6 and coming off dominant victories in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks and Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx.

“Her works have been impressive,” Asmussen said. “Coming off the Charles Town Oaks and Cotillion if that racetrack is tight and speed-favoring they’re going to have their hands full. She’s just very fast right now. Effortlessly fast.”

EPICENTER (Classic): The Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up vaulted to the head of North America’s three-year-old class with victories in the Jim Dandy and Travers this summer at Saratoga. He has been going steadily since last September and will have a two-month freshening off the Travers coming into this.

“The difference coming off of winning the Travers as opposed to being second in the Derby and Preakness we have a more generous horse mentally,” Asmussen said. “I remember week of the Travers when we schooled him what a combination of strength and athleticism he is. We’ve obviously had a couple of schooling sessions here during the races, wow, he’s just magnificent right now.”