They've been running the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs since 1902, last year's renewal proving one of the most formful to success at Oaklawn Park and other tracks.
Winner Classic Empire went on to be named male 2-year-old champion after Grade 1 victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita and the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. The Mark Casse-trained colt won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April and, though a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Derby, finished second in the Preakness when nosed at the wire by Cloud Computing.
Recruiting Ready, the 2016 Bashford Manor runner-up, paired stakes victories this spring at Oaklawn (Bachelor) and Pimlico for trainer Horacio De Paz.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen seeks his fifth Bashford Manor victory tonight with highly regarded Copper Bullet as the spring/summer meeting in Louisville, Ky., ends.
Copper Bullet drew only five opponents in the Grade 3 $100,000 race at six furlongs, scaring away the opposition after a front-running victory of eight lengths going five furlongs in 57.56 seconds May 25.
Winchell Thoroughbreds, for which Asmussen trained champion filly Untapable and Tapiture, both Oaklawn stakes winners, owns Copper Bullet in partnership with Arkansan Willis Horton, of Marshall. Florent Geroux, who also rides multiple Grade 1 winner Gun Runner for the trainer, has the mount on Copper Bullet.
"He was pretty highly touted coming out of" Asmussen's training center in Laredo, Texas, said David Fiske, manager of Winchell Thoroughbreds. "He made a start at Keeneland, which might be the first 2-year-old we've run at Keeneland in the spring in at least a decade, maybe."
Purchased for $200,000 at the September 2016 Keeneland yearling sale, Copper Bullet can stamp himself as an early favorite for November's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.
"He's fast and he's as big as a 3-year-old," Fiske said. "We'll see how he does Friday and if he answers that question correctly, we'll find a harder question to ask him."
Horton raced champions Will Take Charge and Take Charge Brandi, both trained by Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas. The business arrangement with Winchell Thoroughbreds "just sort of developed organically," said Fiske.
"I think when Take Charge Brandi and Untapable were running, someone from Mr. Horton's family got in touch with Ron and reached out and wanted to do something ... and we never could agree on what to do, but they stayed in touch. Then the opportunity to partner on some yearlings last year popped up and, so far, everything is chugging along pretty good."
Copper Bullet has been working head-and-head the last three weeks with She's a Julie, whom Asmussen entered in the Grade 3 $100,000 Debutante on tonight's Churchill card. "She's a nice filly -- probably his best at this time of the year right now," said John Nichols, Churchill Downs' official clocker.
The 13 fillies entered in the Debutante include Lady O'Toole, a 3 1/4-length career-debut winner June 16 at Churchill Downs for owner Steve Landers, of Little Rock, and trainer Brad Cox.
Post times are 7:30 p.m. for the Bashford Manor and 8:39 p.m. for the Debutante.
Earlier on the card (race 2, 5:28 p.m.) is an allowance/optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles including Oaklawn stakes winner Far Right, Carve and Racer. ... The seven-furlong Kelly's Landing overnight stakes includes Oaklawn-raced Wabel (owned by Hot Springs resident Staton Flurry), Hebbronville (formerly trained by the late Lynn Whiting, now by Steve Hobby), Recount, Fish Trappe Road, The Truth Or Else and Bayerd. Post time for the Kelly's Landing in 9:42 p.m.
Sports on 06/30/2017