Saturday, July 2, 2011

The Bashford Manor

The 110th running of the Bashford Manor will take place today at Churchill Downs. This prestigious Stakes for 2 year olds was named after the ancestral home of Lord Baltimore in England. James Bennett Wilder, a relative of Lord Baltimore’s, built the estate in Kentucky and later sold it to thoroughbred breeder George Jones Long. Bashford Manor Farms was famous for producing 3 Kentucky Derby winners including, Azra (1892), Manuel (1899) and Sir Huon (1906)

With the Breeder’s Cup now offering a Cup race for 2 year old sprinters for the first time this year, a win over the track in a Graded Stakes could be a nice edge come November. And while we rarely see a classic horse emerge from this dash, Black Gold did win this and went on to win the 1924 Kentucky Derby.

A full field of 11 has been entered, but The Dale Romans trained Tarpy’s Goal has been cross entered in the Futurity at Belmont, on Sunday, which only drew 6 entrants.

The buzz horse in here is Sum of The Parts. A colt by Speightstown, out of the multiple graded stakes winner Enjoy the Moment, he earned a 94 Beyer first time out, while breaking slowly. He was visually impressive in his nearly 3 length win. With a lovely and smooth way of going, he has worked 4 times since the win in mid- May and trainer Tom Amoss is very high on him.

Another highly thought of colt is the Neil Howard- trained, Power World. Outrun early in his debut, he unleashed a furious run, circled the field and was up in time. By Distorted Humor, out of Purrfectly by Storm Cat, he is a half to the very talented multiple stakes winner Santa Catarina. He has worked twice since his June 11th win.

The only colt that has won 2 is the Brett Calhoun trained, Lil Cherokee. It will be interesting to see how this Texas bred stakes winner shows up out of town.

Al Stall has a colt coming off a win on the poly at Keeneland, but he has been working well at Churchill. Friscan, by the recently deceased Maryland sire Two Punch, just hung on in his only outing, but has had some stamina works since then.

Bernie Flint has two in here, Bonaparte and Exactor. Both look talented. Exactor finished second, first time out to Sum of the Parts, and then came back and galloped in his next start. Will having a little more seasoning, BE the “x-factor?”

Stars of the future? We will see. It’s always exciting to scope out a new Saturday Afternoon horse.

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