Asmussen has strong hand for closing-day juvenile stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The curtain comes down Saturday at Churchill Downs, but not before three stakes add a final chapter to what has been another highly eventful spring meet.

The traditional closing-day fixtures for 2-year-olds, the $125,000 Bashford Manor and $125,000 Debutante, serve as co-features, along with the $120,000 Kelly’s Landing for 3-year-olds and up.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who will be honored between races for wrapping up his 21st meet title, a Churchill record, has major contenders in the baby races, both of which go at six furlongs. Rowdy Yates, a romping winner of his only start, is part of a well-matched field of 10 colts and geldings in the 118th Bashford Manor, while Magic Dance surely will be favored off an 84 Beyer Speed Figure when she faces eight other fillies in the 119th Debutante. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call on both Asmussen horses.

The stakes trio – not to mention a stakes-caliber $104,000 turf-sprint allowance (race 9) – are all part of a Single 6 wager subject to a mandatory disbursement of its pool. First post for a 12-race card is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the Single 6 (races 7-12) starting at 3:50.

Live action on this circuit moves Sunday to Ellis Park in western Kentucky.

Bashford Manor (race 11, 5:59)

Rowdy Yates, named for the Clint Eastwood character in the old TV show “Rawhide,” earned a 64 Beyer in his May 31 debut. As visibly impressive as that race was, his Beyer has been surpassed already by several of his opponents, including Phantom Boss (post 1, Rafael Bejarano), a California-bred maiden winner in his last start, and a couple of maidens, Snell Yeah (post 2, Gabriel Saez) and Verb (post 8, James Graham). Rowdy Yates breaks from the outside post.

Phantom Boss, trained by Jorge Periban, earned a field-high 78 in his June 2 triumph at Santa Anita and seems likely to show big speed from the rail. Bejarano is a longtime fan favorite here, having won multiple riding titles on the Kentucky circuit at the outset of his career (2003-05).

Rookie Salsa (post 4, Angel Suarez) was a 27-1 winner of the Kentucky Juvenile here on Thursday of Derby week. Based in Maryland with trainer Jerry O’Dwyer, Rookie Salsa was third in the Tremont at Belmont Park in his only start since his Kentucky Juvenile upset.

One more viable threat is Alec and Arthur (post 3, Tyler Gaffalione), winner of the only allowance for 2-year-olds at the spring meet.

Debutante (race 10, 5:26)

Unlike the Bashford Manor, the Debutante figures to have a toteboard standout in Magic Dance, a Three Chimneys Farm homebred who will be part of the sizable Asmussen contingent at the upcoming Saratoga meet. Her June 7 debut was a corker, as she ran right past odds-on favorite Josie and drew off by 4 3/4 lengths. She’ll break from post 7.

One of the potential upsetters is Indy Takes Charge (post 2, Chris Landeros), who was dismissed at 21-1 when he posted a 3 1/4-length victory in her May 31 debut here. Pat Byrne trained both the filly’s sire, Take Charge Indy, and dam, Countess d’Oro, for Maribeth Sandford and her late husband, Chuck, who also own Indy Takes Charge.

“She’s a special filly to us, for obvious reasons,” said Byrne. “Hopefully she can take her game to the next level.”

Another possibility is Cholula Lips (post 6, Bejarano), whose California-based trainer, Mike Harrington, is best known for his work with 2-year-olds. The California-bred filly won at first asking at Santa Anita on May 24 and now adds blinkers as she races an additional furlong and a half.

Kelly’s Landing (race 8, 4:22)

Ron Moquett is well acquainted with several of the major contenders in this seven-furlong race. He’s the trainer of Petrov (post 7, Jack Gilligan), and he picked out Uncontested (post 1, Miguel Mena) as a yearling for the horse’s owners, Bob LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum.

In addition, Moquett is a fan of how D. Wayne Lukas has managed the 32-race campaign of Warrior’s Club (post 8, Jon Court) for the 200-member Churchill Downs Racing Club. “He should have to carry extra weight for all the cheers he’ll get,” Moquett joked.

Uncontested, winner of the Grade 3 General George at Laurel in February, will be making his first start in the care of trainer Tom Amoss, and he will vie for favoritism in the field of nine with Warrior’s Club, an earner of nearly $800,000. Petrov comes off a just-missed second in the Aristides earlier this month.