Wicked Halo Gets Some Class Relief in Twin Bridges

Wicked Halo , one of the heavyweights from a truly fierce older female sprint division, faces softer company in hopes of securing a victory before re-engaging her old rivals in Saratoga Race Course later this summer.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, who also conditions divisional stars Echo Zulu and Society , Wicked Halo’s padded resume makes her an overwhelming favorite for the July 23 $125,000 Twin Bridges Stakes at Ellis Park. The six-time stakes winner enters Sunday’s contest off a gallant neck defeat to Eclipse Award winner Goodnight Olive in the June 17 Bed o’ Roses Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.

Wicked Halo began her 4-year-old campaign with a mud-splashed victory over Matareya in Oaklawn Park‘s Matron Stakes before that foe handed the Gun Runner filly a one-length loss in the Derby City Distaff (G1) on Kentucky Derby day.

The Winchell Thoroughbreds’ homebred had been training at Saratoga prior to shipping in for the six-furlong Twin Bridges, which could suggest she could resurface for the track’s $500,000 Ballerina Stakes (G1) Aug. 26.

Cristian Torres has the mount for the first time on Wicked Halo.

The most accomplished contender to take on Wicked Halo in the 7-horse field is Monarch Stable’s Last Leaf . As a sophomore last year, she rolled through three consecutive stakes scores, including a win over the opposing Gunning in Ellis Park’s Audubon Oaks. The Eddie Keneally trainee was third behind Echo Zulu in her most recent outing in the Winning Colors Stakes (G3) May 29.