Trainer Steve Asmussen hopes Echo Zulu's Kentucky Oaks race goes as smoothly as the draw

If the Kentucky Oaks goes anything like Monday’s Kentucky Oaks draw for Steve Asmussen, he’s going to have a good Friday.

Though the trainer of 3-year-old filly Echo Zulu didn’t end the Oaks draw with the favorite — that distinction went to Nest and trainer Todd Pletcher — the early part of Asmussen’s afternoon was a breeze. 

His stress came later, during the Kentucky Derby Draw, where Epicenter was the 19th horse to draw a post position. That required a lengthy wait — through the initial 10 horses drawn, plus an intermission before the next round of selections. 

The Oaks draw was a stark contrast. Echo Zulu was the first horse slotted into a post position and ended the day at 4-1, the third choice behind favorite Nest (5-2) and Kathleen O. (7-2). 

More:Kentucky Derby post position draw, lineup, odds, full field. Zandon, Epicenter lead way

More:2022 Kentucky Oaks post position draw, lineup, odds and entries for full field

“Nice and smooth,” Asmussen said of the draw. “First name out of the box. Seventh, you can live with that. You don’t have to sweat a whole lot.”

He can save the sweating for Friday, when Echo Zulu will seek to become the first champion juvenile filly to win the Derby the following year since Silverbulletday in 1999. Friday’s Oaks will be her first race at Churchill Downs, but Echo Zulu is 4-0 on four different tracks. 

"She’s quite obviously the undefeated champion,” Asmussen said. “But there are extremely talented fillies in this year’s Oaks.”

That field is led by favorite Nest, in the No. 4 position. 

Nest, trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Grade 1 1/16 mile Ashland States on April 8 at Keeneland and the Suncoast Stakes on Feb. 12 at Tampa Bay Downs. 

“She’s the type of filly we thought would get better as she got older,” Pletcher said. “We’ve really seen that this winter and spring. She’s gotten better and better, and it’s shown in her two races this year.”

Pletcher was “really pleased,” he said, with the 4 post for Nest.

“She’s settled in here at Churchill super,” he said. “Two good breezes over the track. Just seems like she’s coming around, peaking at the right time.” 

And he didn’t mind the 13 spot for jockey Flavien Plat on Shahama, the other Pletcher-trained horse in the Oaks field.

“I think for a lot of horses (13) would be a disadvantage, but in her races in Dubai, she traditionally doesn’t jump really well,” Pletcher said. “She’s not super quick that first step. So I think in her case, it might be better off, give Flavien some options. If she doesn’t break well, he might be able to tuck in easier from there than he would from an inside post.”

More:What time is the Kentucky Derby? Here's your complete guide to the 2022 race

The draw wasn’t especially kind to D. Wayne Lukas-trained Secret Oath, who drew the far inside No. 1 position. Her morning-line odds were set at 6-1, just behind the favorites. 

Second choice Kathleen O. will run from the No. 10 post. 

And those positions might well come into play on Friday. 

But Asmussen knows they might not. 

Sometimes, he said, you’ll think a draw isn’t ideal and it works out. Other times you’ll figure a horse is well-positioned but “somebody goes left or right or whatever and you never know; you never know until the race ends.” 

What he knows is that in Echo Zulu was an elite horse a year ago. On Friday, he’ll find out how she stacks up as a 3-year-old. 

“It’s obvious she was a brilliant 2-year-old,” Asmussen said. “She’s going to need to run considerably faster in the Kentucky Oaks than she did in (winning) the Fair Grounds Oaks, but for many reasons we believe she can. But her at a mile and 1/8 will be quite the test.”