Command Performance: Epicenter Storms to Travers Stakes Victory

Son of Not This Time stamps himself as divisional leader with first Grade 1 win

Epicenter wins the 153rd edition of the $1.25 million Travers Stakes. NYRA/Chelsea Durand photo

By Alicia Hughes

The heartbreaking moments had played out one after another on the biggest stages of his career. Yet even as circumstance landed on the side of others in races that traditionally define the 3-year-old male division, there was still a consensus that Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Epicenter possessed the ability that would ultimately launch him ahead of his classmates.

Nice as that sentiment was, it only provided so much of a salve for his Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen as he had to explain why the son of Not This Time had come away from the first two legs of the Triple Crown with a pair of runner-up finishes. Still, there were concrete reasons why belief in the bay colt never waned despite the blemishes that resulted from his top-level tries.

He remained the most consistent performer in the sophomore ranks with the most tactical running style and no off days to speak of in his past performance lines. Where his conquerors needed race scenarios to fall just right to prevail, Epicenter was seen as most capable of making his own luck.

On the evening of Aug. 27 at the venue that tests favorites in unparalleled fashion, fate finally broke in favor of the horse widely considered the uncrowned king. There would be no excuses needed for Epicenter in the aftermath of the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1), only confirmation of what many already considered obvious.

The star-crossed runner-up in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) whipped the albatross off his neck as he made his way down the Saratoga Race Course stretch and into the winner’s circle on Saturday. After suffering gut-wrenching defeats in the first two American classics, Epicenter solidified his reputation as the top sophomore male in the country with a 5 ¼ length victory in the 153rd edition of the 10-furlong Travers Stakes.

The sight of the Winchell colorbearer leaving his foes to fight for minor honors was one most thought would become commonplace following a Kentucky Derby prep season that saw the colt stamp himself as divisional leader following victories in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2). And on the first Saturday in May, Epicenter indeed ran a race that would win most editions of the first leg of the Triple Crown only to be passed in late stretch by 80-1 shot Rich Strike taking advantage of a pace meltdown for the ages.

The stunning nature of that defeat took no luster off Epicenter as he wheeled back in the Preakness Stakes two weeks later but, after a second place run that day behind the lightly-raced Early Voting in which he was squeezed at the start, the need for tangible results became necessary in order for the favor he had curried to endure. The first bit of redemption came in the July 30 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at the Spa when Epicenter showed a new dimension in coming from last to best a field of four that included Early Voting and Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Zandon.

And after the way Epicenter toyed with his seven challengers in the Travers to earn his first Grade 1 victory, declarations of his superiority were cemented as fact.

“It was really gratifying,” Asmussen said. “We walked over today with a tremendous amount of confidence in the horse, but definitely remember we felt exactly that way walking over for this year’s Derby. He was away cleanly and thought he was very comfortable and attending close enough to the pace, and just ran a very dominating performance against a very good group.

“Racing is about tradition. To have your name on that cup is very special.”

The satisfaction that washed over Epicenter’s connections as they piled into the winner’s enclosure permeated multiple layers that held prior angst. For Asmussen, North America’s all-time winningest trainer, he was able to add a first Travers victory to a resume that boasts almost every other significant race. That it came with a colt owned by his longtime clients, Winchell Thoroughbreds, resonated that much deeper given they had previously teamed to run third with Gun Runner in 2016 and second with Midnight Bourbon last season.

“As long as I can remember, the history of Saratoga and the horses my family has run over the years, the Travers is always the marquee race,” said Ron Winchell, owner of Winchell Thoroughbreds. “Coming here with Gun Runner and running third and Midnight Bourbon running second last year, it just makes you want to win it that much more. It makes this win in this race that much more special for myself and my family.”

What has separated from Epicenter from even the horses who have thwarted him is the fact he is machine-like in both his preparation and in-race performance. His workouts are almost indistinguishable, each one as methodical as the one that came before, and the only time he has been worse than second in his 10 career starts came when he finished sixth in his career debut at Churchill Downs last September.

He has won in gate-to-wire fashion, in a stalking manner, and was last in the early going during the Jim Dandy. On Saturday, sent off as the even-money favorite, he let jockey Joel Rosario settle him into fourth while dual Grade 1 winner Cyberknife was the unexpected pacesetter through fractions of :23.32 and :47.63.

“We wanted to be forwardly placed, and he was. He broke good and he was more in the race today,” Rosario said. “For a second, I thought I could just keep going forward to the lead but it looked like those couple horses wanted to be more forwardly placed, so I just wanted to give him a good trip.

“It was a good trip. I was just following those two horses on the lead. He looked like he was a little more in the game today. He did great.”

While Ain't Life Grand made a brief move at Cyberknife approaching the final turn, Epicenter advanced with purpose and easily arrived on the outside of Cyberknife to take the lead at the top of the lane. Cyberknife gamely fought on along the rail following his early exploits with Rich Strike and Zandon charging down the center of the course, but there was no catching Epicenter, who had intent with every stride as he completed the 1 1/4-miles in 2:00.72.

“I think that's what makes racing so great. You're bet on by what you've done, but what you've done previously doesn't get it done for you,” Asmussen said. “For Epicenter to have competed in the Derby and the Preakness and still have this much horse now, we're extremely proud of that. That's what makes racing great.”

Cyberknife, who was coming into the Travers off consecutive victories in the Matt Winn (G3) and Haskell Stakes (G1), held to get second by a nose over Grade 1 winner Zandon, who bested Rich Strike by a neck for show.

Early Voting was eased but walked off under his own power.

“I can't predict what anyone else is going to do but I know we're not going to take away anything that comes easy, and we were doing it easy enough,” said Brad Cox, trainer of Cyberknife. “Obviously, once I saw Joel ranging up, as easy as he was, I thought this was going to be (difficult). Once they straightened up, I thought, 'We got a shot here,' but you could tell he was getting away from us a little bit.

“Hats off to the winners, they deserve it. We were second best and I'm very proud of our horse.”

Bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farms, Epicenter improved his record to six wins from 10 starts with a bankroll of $2,940,639. Whether he has another start ahead of his year-end goal of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 5 is to be determined.

“As good as he ran in the Jim Dandy off the freshening, we're very confident to do either,” Asmussen said. “When you think of the horses that are running and how excellent they are, what a great Breeders' Cup Classic it will be if we can get them all lined up.”

What is not up for debate is whether he is still a worthy leader of his class.