Lone Star Sky victorious in Bashford Manor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Lone Star Sky surged past heavily favored Posse to post a stakes-record victory in the Bashford Manor Stakes on the closing-day program Sunday at Churchill Downs, marking himself as a 2-year-old to watch while also allowing Tom Amoss to settle for a tie for top training honors at the 52-day spring meet.

Lone Star Sky, owned by Walter "Buddy" New and ridden by Mark Guidry, returned $9.40 as second choice after pulling clear to a 3 1/2-length victory in the 101st running of the $136,250 Bashford Manor. The win was the 23rd for Amoss at the meet, giving him a tie with Dale Romans.

Lone Star Sky was among several colts chasing a hot early pace set by Wild Bid in the Grade 2 Bashford Manor. Around the turn, Guidry had to slightly steady his mount when in tight quarters, but "when he came back to the ground, I nudged him a little bit, and he was there. He ran real hard down the lane."

Lone Star Sky finished six furlongs in 1:09.68, lowering by .22 seconds the stakes mark set last year by Lunar Bounty.

Posse, the 7-10 favorite, was "sitting easy" after taking the lead at the quarter-pole, said jockey Donnie Meche. "There's not a lot to say."

Cooper Crossing finished third, a length behind Posse, followed by White Cat, Boston Park, Air Lordan and Wild Bid.

Lone Star Sky, a Florida-bred by Conquistador Cielo, won his only previous start last month at Arlington Park. Amoss said he probably underestimated the colt's talent, but the victory Sunday "obviously will have us rethinking our options with him.

"I've never won a 2-year-old race of this caliber," he added. "It's really exciting. I'm not really sure what we'll do with him, other than hope we have him in Chicago in late October (for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile)."

Amoss actually had a chance to win the training title outright with Miss Lodi in the race following the Bashford Manor, but the filly finished second as the favorite. This was the third straight Churchill spring meet in which Romans finished tied for leading trainer.