Santa Anita Shipper the Horse to Beat in Bashford Manor

[Wandering Eyes]

An evenly matched field of youngsters will line up in Saturday’s GIII Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs. Favoritism could perhaps fall upon Santa Anita shipper Phantom Boss (Shackleford). Trained by Jorge Periban, the California-bred fell a neck short of catching the impressive next out Tremont S. winner Fore Left (Twirling Candy) in his May 19 debut. Phantom Boss followed up that effort with a sharp maiden victory against state-breds June 2, garnering a field high 78 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

“It’s so amazing being here with this horse,” Periban said in the Churchill notes. “We sent him out to train and he seemed to love this track. It will be a good test for him. We knew his father loved this track and did very well here. Why not take a shot?”

Rookie Salsa (Two Step Salsa) and Alec and Arthur (Successful Appeal) are among the most experienced of the 10 Bashford Manor runners with six career starts between them. The former was a first-time out winner Apr. 19 at his Laurel home base before invading Louisville to claim the Kentucky Juvenile S. May 1, with Alec and Arthur 1 1/2 lengths back in third. Owned by Designated Hitters Racing, Rookie Salsa subsequently completed the trifecta in the Tremont during Belmont’s Stakes Festival weekend. Alec and Arthur, meanwhile, returned to capture a Churchill allowance June 6.

Another noteworthy starter is L and N Racing’s Rowdy Yates (Morning Line), a pupil of the meet’s current leading trainer, Steve Asmussen. The bargain $42,000 Fasig-Tipton October buy streaked to a dominating wire-to-wire debut score May 31 over the local oval. Fellow Bashford entrant Silent Malice (Palace Malice), a maiden of two career starts, was among the beaten foes in fifth that day.

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