Governmentshutdown has momentum ahead of Bashford Manor
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jerry Robb has sent out the starters of more than 11,000 races in a training career of some 40 years, but only one at Churchill Downs. That came last June on a rainy Saturday night, when a colt named Debt Ceiling won the Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes.
“We watched the race in some executive room and had a hard time getting down to the winner’s circle,” Robb recalled this week from his Maryland base. “I’d actually like to have the same problem this time.”
Robb will be back in town Saturday to run one of the favorites, Governmentshutdown, in the 113th running of the $100,000 Bashford Manor, a six-furlong race that drew a field of six 2-year-olds.
Like Debt Ceiling, Governmentshutdown is owned by Tim O’Donohue and has developed well ahead of the juvenile curve. The son of Exchange Rate won his second career start before wheeling back 13 days later to capture the Rollicking Stakes on the May 16 Preakness Eve card at Pimlico.[bc_video_id:328426:]
“He got a lot of experience in that race,” said Robb, noting how the gray gelding rated kindly behind horses before rallying for a 3 3/4-length victory. “He actually cut himself in there, and I had to miss about a week with him. But he’s had a couple dynamite works since then, and he’s really doing great. We’re hoping he runs another big one.”
Governmentshutdown, with J.R. Betancourt to ride, will break from post 2 in the Bashford Manor, the sixth of 10 Saturday races. His main opposition figures to come from Skyway (post 1, Stewart Elliott), unraced since easily capturing the first 2-year-old race of the year in Kentucky, and Cinco Charlie (post 4, Shaun Bridgmohan), a highly impressive winner of his only start here May 9 for trainer Steve Asmussen, a three-time winner of the Bashford Manor.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Skyway. Trainer is Mark Casse is 0 for 21 (eight in the money) in graded stakes with horses coming off a layoff between 61 and 180 days in the past five years. Click for more details. – Matt Bernier
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Completing the field are Draw Nigh, Silverhill, and Lucky Player.
Post time for the Bashford Manor, the main supporting feature to the Grade 2 Firecracker, is 3:16 p.m. Eastern.
Strong undercard on tap
A terrific Saturday undercard also includes the $65,000 Kelly’s Landing (race 7, 3:47), a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.
Good Lord, a resurgent 7-year-old trained by Forrest Kaelin, was assigned the rail in a field of 10 and would do well to get somewhere close to the 99 Beyer Speed Figure he earned in winning his last start Memorial Day.
Laurie’s Rocket, Cozzetti, Z Rockstar, Captain Genius, and Pass the Dice all help to make this perhaps the best wagering event of the day.
◗ Golden Soul, the 2013 Kentucky Derby runner-up, will try to break an 11-race losing skein when dipping back Saturday into a first-level allowance in the fourth race (2:14). The 4-year-old colt has not been a factor in seven starts since helping to blow up the Derby exotics at 34-1.
◗ Sunday is closing day of the 38-day spring meet, with $1 fan-appreciation specials being offered on many concessions.