Chip Honcho

Connect (Curlin--Bullville Belle, Holy Bull), winner of the GI Cigar Mile, has been sold to Seyda Ercan Stable and will stand in Turkey in 2027, Lane's End confirmed on Monday. The 13-year-old stallion has been based at Lane's End since his retirement in 2018. According to the Turkish publication Yaris Dergisi, which first reported the sale, the deal was brokered by bloodstock agent Murat Sancal. During his stud career, his progeny have won 37 stakes and just under $31 million in progeny earnings. One the racetrack, Connect earned over $1.3...

The June 6 GI Belmont Stakes has lost two potential starters as the trainers of Potente (Into Mischief) and Chip Honcho (Connect) have declared their horses out of the race. The news was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening. Trainer Steve Asmussen told Grening he is not sure where Chip Honcho will run next. Trained by Bob Baffert, Potente will run next in the GIII Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 7. Potente, winner of the GII San Felipe earlier this season, was last seen...

Chip Honcho (Connect) had his final major tune-up for the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes when he worked four furlongs in :50.20 (39/47) at Churchill Downs Sunday. Exercise rider Luiyi Ortiz was aboard for the work, which was one of trainer Steve Asmussen's typical easy half-mile moves the week of a race. Chip Honcho's big work came May 2, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.00 (1/14). "I think we're in a very good place with him right now," said Asmussen, who won the Preakness in 2007 with Curlin and...

Undefeated Taj Mahal (Nyquist) has been all the rage in the lead up to the GI Preakness Stakes, and his move Saturday morning will have done nothing to cool those feelings as the Brittany Russell trainee posted his fourth consecutive bullet move. Sent out to work five furlongs with exercise rider Alex Beitia aboard, he went in company with stakes winner Regalo (Maximus Mischief) early in the morning at 6:15am. Taj Mahal cruised through splits of :12 1/5, :24 1/5, :36 2/5, and :48 flat while leading his workmate throughout....

With the announcement that Golden Tempo (Curlin) will be skipping the GI Preakness Stakes, the GI Kentucky Derby winner's jockey Jose Ortiz has picked up the mount on Chip Honcho (Connect) in the May 16 Classic. Ortiz rode the Steve Asmussen-trained colt to his maiden win at Churchill Downs last November. Paco Lopez rode the colt to victory in the Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes and Luis Saez was aboard for his runner-up effort in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes and fifth-place finish in the Mar. 21 GII...

Chip Honcho (Connect), winner of the Gun Runner Stakes and a close second in the GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds will bypass the GI Kentucky Derby in favor of the May 16 running of the GI Preakness Stakes, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. With the defection of Chip Honcho, GSW Litmus Test (Nyquist) will now drawn in for the big race. The colt's Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was asked early on Saturday morning what "Plan B" was if...

It truly is spring in Kentucky when the penultimate preps for the marquee event in May start rolling out, and so was the story Saturday morning as Albus (Yaupon) and Right to Party (Constitution) led the work tab for GI Kentucky Derby hopefuls at Churchill Downs. The top two from last month's GII Wood Memorial Stakes both went out Saturday morning with winner Albus spotted first for trainer Riey Mott. He breezed four panels in :49 flat (35/65) for his first move over the track since arriving at the venue...

Golden Tempo (Curlin), third in the GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. Feb. 14, will race with first-time blinkers in Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. The Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable homebred and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' was an eye-catching, come-from-behind winner of his first two career starts, including the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 17. He rallied from seventh to complete the trifecta in the Risen Star, finishing six lengths behind Paladin (Gun Runner). "He made a really nice run in the Risen Star and...

A field of 11, led by Gun Runner S. winner Chip Honcho (Connect), will line up in Saturday's GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds, good for 20-10-6-4-2 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Gun Runner was Chip Honcho's first try around two turns and third career start for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The Leland Ackerley Racing colorbearer is drawn widest of all in post 11. The re-opposing Ohio-bred Crown the Buckeye (Yaupon), favored at 4-1 on the Lecomte morning-line, set the pace and tired late to...

Sent off as the 39-10 third choice in a field of six for Saturday's Gun Runner Stakes at the Fair Grounds, Leland Ackerley Racing LLC's Chip Honcho (Connect) prompted the early pace and kept plugging away down the long stretch to be up on the wire and earn 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The $210,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling--with blinkers added off a Churchill one-mile maiden win Nov. 20--broke to his right, causing a bit of a chain reaction, but he showed speed enough to track the...