'Rising Star' Booth Stays Hot In Maryland Sprint Stakes

Towering over this competition on paper, 'TDN Rising Star' Booth dutifully got the job done with a one-length score over Epic Ride in Saturday's GIII Maryland Sprint Stakes.

Breaking like a shot, the 4-5 choice was fortunate to get the jump on neighboring Concrete Glory (Bodemeister), who hesitated at the start and never got going as his six rivals raced down the backstretch. Narrowly ahead of a tightly-bunched trio, which headed by 3-2 second choice Epic Ride through an opening quarter in :23.30, the Steve Asmussen trainee was moving under his own steam after carving out a half in :45.99.

Given a bit of encouragement by Erik Asmussen down the lane, the chestnut produced another professional run to win his fourth straight black-type victory. Epic Ride finished a game second, beaten only a length, while Celtic Contender was a long way back in third.

“He broke so good and he put his ears up about three jumps away from there and I knew they were in trouble,” said Erik Asmussen. “He was on cruise control the whole way around. He is fast, really fast. When we went the first quarter in 23, he did that so easy, it felt like I was on a morning gallop with him. I hope he likes me as much as I like him.”

Bred by Clearsky Farms, the 4-year-old is campagined by William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm.

The winner of a pair of starts last season, Booth kicked off his 4-year-old season with a fifth in Oaklawn's Byerly Turk Overnight Stakes Jan. 23. A front-running winner of the six-furlong Commodore Stakes at Oaklawn Feb. 24, the $225,000 OBS March juvenile purchase added a win in the GIII Whitmore Stakes Mar. 15 before making it three straight in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint Handicap Apr. 12. He earned his TDN Rising Star status in his career debut winning by 5 1/4 lengths at Keeneland in the fall of 2023.

“How hard he ran the last three times and then shipping him, I was worried,” admitted Steve Asmussen. “But when he broke like that, he was himself. There were pretty quick horses in there. But when he breaks like that, it's pretty obvious who's going to be on the lead…He was hooked pretty hard in his last race, and his last race took more out of him than anything before it. So, I thought, 'give him a little extra time for this race,' and he was back on his feet. But I was concerned because of how hard he ran.”

Looking down the road with the colt, Asmussen added, “This is only the horse's 11th start, and the horse is 7 for 11 now. So, I think we've got a lot of racing ahead of us.”

Pedigree Notes:

Booth's dam Sophia's Song has already proven her weight in gold with her first foal to race, Bright Future (Curlin), winning the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and GIII Salvator Mile while earning just a tick under $1 million. She followed up with GSW and GISP Musical Mischief (Into Mischief), with her third foal to race, Booth, also become her third consecutive black-type winner. In 2022, she produced a colt by Tiz the Law followed by colt by Maxfield in 2023. Her latest registered foal is a colt by Jackie's Warrior from last season.

Sophia's Song is out of Dreamscape (Mt Livermore), a full-sister to champion sprinter Housebuster.

Steve Asmussen is also responsible for training Booth's sire, MGISW Mitole, who earned over $3 million during three years on the track route to a sprint championship. Mitole was also campaigned by William and Corinne Heiligbrodt.

“He's moving up the ladder. He's making his dad, Mitole, proud. He showed a lot early in the fall of his 2-year-old year, just got out of rhythm, things not being ideal. Then for him to reach this form–I think that's four stakes wins in a row at 4–you think back that Mitole didn't get great until he was four.”

What a fantastic run from BOOTH ($3.80) in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) at @PimlicoRC. Erik Asmussen was up for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Another winner for Mitole (@spendthriftfarm)!

Looking for a Pick 5? Look here 👉 https://t.co/28CDidrNEI pic.twitter.com/un8AH7C3Rs

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) May 17, 2025

Saturday, Pimlico
MARYLAND SPRINT S.-GIII, $148,500, Pimlico, 5-17, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.39, ft.
1–BOOTH, 126, c, 4, by Mitole
            1st Dam: Sophia's Song (SW & GSP, $155,892),
                        by Bellamy Road
            2nd Dam: Dreamscape, by Mt. Livermore
            3rd Dam: Big Dreams, by Great Above
'TDN Rising Star'. ($120,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo '23
OBSMAR). O-L. William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt,
Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm LLC; B-Clearsky Farms
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Erik Asmussen. $90,000.
Lifetime Record: 11-7-0-0, $851,191. *1/2 to Musical Mischief
(Into Mischief), GSW & GISP, $519,276 and Bright Future
(Curlin), GISW, $947,940. Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Epic Ride, 120, c, 4, Blame–Pick a Time, by Gio Ponti.
($160,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Welch Racing LLC; B-Fred W.
Hertrich (KY); T-John Ennis. $30,000.
3–Celtic Contender, 120, c, 4, Irish War Cry–Celtic Katie,
by Posse. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Lewis Family Racing
Stable; B-Fred T Lewis (MD); T-Hamilton A. Smith. $15,000.
Margins: 1, 6 3/4, 5 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 1.50, 6.70.
Also Ran: S S Sinatra, Concrete Glory. Scratched: Ninetyprcentmaddie, Prince of Jericho. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.