ARCADIA, Calif. - Saluto, a nine-length winner of his debut in a maiden race for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita on Friday, will be considered for the $225,000 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 28, trainer Steve Knapp said on Sunday. “He came out of it fantastic,” Knapp said. “Now we have to look around and find somewhere to run.” There are no stakes for 2-year-olds at the current Santa Anita spring meeting, or at the Los Alamitos summer meeting in late June and early July. At the Del Mar summer meeting, the first opportunity for Saluto is the $100,000 Graduation Stakes for California-breds at 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 7. Knapp said he would prefer to start Saluto sooner than the Graduation. Saluto was part of a successful start to 2-year-old racing in California this year for Knapp and Terry Lovingier, the prominent California-based owner and breeder. Saluto ($6.20) led throughout a race at 4 1/2 furlongs, finishing clear of King Kameha, who is trained by Knapp for a partnership that includes Lovingier. Saluto, ridden by Antonio Fresu, was quickly in front, holding an advantage of five lengths in the stretch. Saluto was timed in 52.30 seconds. Saluto, by Stay Thirsty, was bred by Lovingier, who co-owns the colt with Cinema Thoroughbreds, John and Diane Mihaljevich and John Moroney. On Thursday, the filly Dream Quest won a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs for fillies by a head as the 1-2 favorite for Knapp, holding off a persistent threat from 23-1 Thirsty Caitlin, who is co-owned by Lovingier and trained by Edwin Alvarez. Lovingier co-owns Dream Quest with Lovingier and Moroney. Dream Quest was ridden by Tiago Pereira and was timed in 53.67 seconds. Knapp said Dream Quest is unlikely to start until the $100,000 CTBA Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs for statebred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar on Aug. 2. “She’s got a lot of speed,” Knapp said. “She’s a classy filly and we’ll wait for Del Mar. “We’ll let her grow up. I expected her to win, but I thought she’d win easier than that.” Knapp said King Kameha may return in a maiden race for statebreds at 4 1/2 furlongs scheduled for May 24. King Kameha had a slow start on Friday. “He can run,” Knapp said. “He got left. He’ll want to run longer. He will be a nice horse.” Through Saturday, Knapp ranked second in the trainer’s standings at the Santa Anita spring meeting with six wins, three behind leader Phil D’Amato. Knapp has a stakes runner next Sunday in Bartholdy in the $100,000 Siren Lure Stakes at six furlongs on turf. Bartholdy, claimed for $50,000 at Del Mar in August 2024, has been third in three consecutive graded stakes on dirt since late December, the most recent of which was the Grade 3 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 29. Bartholdy, who is by Mendelssohn, has not raced on turf since July 2024, and is winless in six career starts on the surface. Knapp said the Siren Lure Stakes will be an experiment. “When I claimed him, he wasn’t running great on the turf,” Knapp said. “We want to know if this will open windows if he likes the turf. He’s really bred for the turf.” The Siren Lure is one of two $100,000 sprint stakes on turf at Santa Anita next weekend. Saturday’s main race is the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.