Cinco Charlie doubles up for Asmussen in Bashford Manor
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was one of the better 20-minute spans in the career of trainer Steve Asmussen.
Shortly after sending out the star filly Untapable to her easy victory in the Grade 1 Mother Goose on Saturday at Belmont Park, Asmussen also was represented by Cinco Charlie, winner of the Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Cinco Charlie, owned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, fought off a sustained challenge from Silverhill to edge clear late and give Asmussen his fourth career win in the Bashford Manor, the first stakes of the year in Kentucky for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
A bay Kentucky-bred by the late Indian Charlie, the winner returned $4.60 as favorite in a field of six after finishing the six-furlong distance in 1:10.36 over a fast track. The winning margin was 1 3/4 lengths.
With Asmussen in New York and assistant Darren Fleming handling the saddling duties, Cinco Charlie made all the pace in what essentially was a two-horse race from the opening bell. Silverhill, a Texas-bred ridden by Corey Lanerie, made it quite a race at the quarter-pole, but Cinco Charlie, racing closest to the rail, never let him past in proving clearly superior on this day.
Skyway finished third, another four lengths back in a strung-out field. Lucky Player was another 8 1/4 lengths back in fourth, with Governmentshutdown, the 2-1 second choice, laboring badly to finish far back in fifth. Draw Nigh was pulled up at the quarter-pole when distanced.
Cinco Charlie will soon join Untapable and the other top Asmussen horses at Saratoga for the summer, said Fleming.
Previous winners in the Bashford Manor for Asmussen were Lunarpal (2004), Kodiak Kowboy (2007), and Kantharos (2010).
The $2 exacta (4-5) paid $26, the $1 trifecta (4-5-1) returned $47.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (4-5-1-6) was worth $13.20.
* Good Lord gave another huge effort for trainer Forrest Kaelin in dominating the $66,000 Kelly’s Landing, a seven-furlong overnight stakes that directly followed by Bashford Manor.
With Brian Hernandez Jr. back aboard, the 7-year-old gelding led from the outset and returned $7.20 as second choice in a field of nine older horses. Good Lord was coming off a three-length victory in a Churchill allowance in his prior start.
Pass the Dice, the 6-5 favorite, was up for second, with Cozzetti third and Fordubai fourth. The winning time was 1:22.45.
* Golden Soul, runner-up in the 2013 Kentucky Derby at 34-1, lost for the 12th straight time when finishing a well-beaten third in the fourth race, a $51,290, first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles. The race was won in wire-to-wire fashion by For Goodness Sake ($10.40), ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.
* Sunday is closing day of the 38-day spring meet, with $1 fan-appreciation specials being offered on many concessions.