Sum of the Parts is likely Bashford Manor
favorite
SUM OF THE PARTS (Speightstown), a
convincing winner in his lone career start, heads a field of 11 two-year-olds in
Saturday’s 110th running of the $100,000
Bashford Manor S. (G3) at Churchill
Downs. The
six-furlong race, the first graded stakes race of the year for two-year-olds, is
scheduled as the 12th and featured event on a special 13-race program on the
closing weekend of the historic track’s 38-day spring meet.
The Bashford Manor, which was first run in 1902, is named in
honor of the prominent Louisville Thoroughbred breeding farm owned by George
James Long, who bred three winners of the Kentucky Derby on the property. The
farm bred and raced Derby winners Azra (1892) and Sir Huon (1906) and bred 1899
winner Manuel. Bashford Manor also owned Kentucky Oaks winners Selika (1894) and
Kathleen (1916).
The Tom Amoss-trained Sum of the Parts turned heads early in the
Spring Meet with a flashy 2 3/4-length victory as the favorite in his 4
1/2-furlong racing debut on May 14. That is the lone start for the colt that is
bidding to join Lone Star Sky (2002) and Backtalk (2009) as Bashford Manor
winners saddled by Amoss.
“He’s a horse we’re very excited about,” Amoss said. “I thought
his race was really good, and the horse that ran second to him, Exfactor
(Exchange Rate), won his next race. Exfactor won a split (maiden) race and he
ran a lot faster than the other division, so that was encouraging.”
Leandro Goncalves will retain the mount.
EXFACTOR will get a shot at turning the tables on Sum of the
Parts in the Bashford Manor. After his runner-up finish in his debut, the gray
colt scored by an easy 4 1/2 lengths at 5 1/2 furlongs on June 9. Calvin Borel
returns.
Flint will also be represented by BONAPARTE (Touch Gold), a
speedy colt who rolled to a front-running, 5 1/2-length victory at 4 1/2
furlongs in his lone start on May 30. Jon Court is up.
Unbeaten Texas invader LIL CHEROKEE (Cherokee Run) is the only
member of the field with stakes experience, winning the colts and geldings
division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity on June 11 at Lone
Star Park. Trained by Bret Calhoun, the Texas-bred colt will carry high weight
of 120 pounds, including Miguel Mena.
Other contenders include POWER WORLD (Distorted Humor), who
overcame traffic problems to win his June 11 career debut at Churchill Downs at
odds of 14-1; TARPY’S GOAL (High Cotton), a May 19 debut winner for trainer Dale
Romans; HOT SPEED (Burning Roma), who ships up from Florida off a four-length
victory in his second career outing at Calder Race Course; FRISCAN (Two Punch),
who won his only start for trainer Al Stall Jr. at Keeneland on April 14; and
GREEN MOUSE (Cherokee Run), a 3 1/2-length winner over a sloppy track in his
second career start on May 26.
Two colts will bid to score their first career victory in the
Bashford Manor, LAURIE’S ROCKET (Bluegrass Cat) and CHALYBEATE SPRINGS
(Dynaformer). The former is trained by Dallas Stewart and exits a
runner-up in his career bow while the latter posted a dull fifth in his only
outing for D. Wayne Lukas, a five-time Bashford Manor winner.
Another event of note on Saturday’s 13-race program is the
11TH
race, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance/optional claiming race with a field of nine that
includes Grade 1-winning comebacker DUBLIN (Afleet Alex). Seventh in last year’s
Kentucky Derby (G1), the Lukas runner hasn’t started since a fifth in last
year’s Preakness (G1).