Churchill Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Rising Star Cazadero Headlines Bashford Manor

Stonestreet Stables homebred Cazadero (Street Sense) looks to make good on his ‘TDN Rising Star’-worthy debut in the GIII Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs Saturday, the first graded event of the season for juveniles. The Steve Asmussen trainee demolished the field in his five-panel unveiling here, earning his diploma by 8 3/4 lengths May 29, good enough to earn an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. The Hall of Fame conditioner also saddles Hulen (Tapiture), a 1 1/2-length debut graduate beneath the Twin Spires June 12.

Peter Miller ships Herd Immunity (Union Rags) in from California for a shot at black-type. Breaking a step slow in his career bow at Santa Anita June 6, the chestnut fought his way to the front and drove clear to earn his diploma.

Todd Pletcher also makes the trip to Louisville with Hyperfocus (Constitution). The Repole homebred rallied to victory after a slow start in his debut at Gulfstream May 9.

County Final (Oxbow) graduated by four lengths in his unveiling on the turf here June 5 and his pilot James Graham said he thinks the surface switch won’t be an issue.

“I really like that we’ll be the last horse to load in the gate,” Graham told the Churchill media team. “If he breaks well, we’ll be able to see what the other horses to our inside are doing in the early stages. He has speed and he trains well on the dirt. So, the switch fromthe turf to the dirt should be no problem either.”

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Midnight Bisou Makes Stateside Return in Fleur de Lis

After finishing a valiant second to fellow champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 29, Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) makes her first start back on U.S. soil in Saturday’s GII Fleur de Lis H. at Churchill Downs, a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The dark bay dominated the distaff division last season, winning seven straight graded races, including the GI Apple Blossom H., GI Ogden Phipps S. and GI Personal Ensign S. The Eclipse winner suffered her only loss of 2019 when rallying from well-back to be second to Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) in the Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 2 and made a bold move up the rail to be second by just 3/4 of a length in the Saudi Cup.

Distaff third-place finisher and GI Kentucky Oaks victress Serengeti Empress (Alternation) will take another crack at the champ here. Setting the pace in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 26, she was run down late by Lady Apple (Curlin) and forced to settle for second. Returning to winning ways with a front-running 6 1/4-length demolition in a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn’s GII Azeri S. Mar. 14, the dark bay never made the front in the Apr. 18 Apple Blossom and faded to 11th. Don’t count her out off that performance, however. Serengeti Empress won the Oaks after being vanned off in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks last spring.

“If you want to talk about a challenge, this is it,” trainer Tom Amoss told the Churchill notes team. “We face a challenge with champion Midnight Bisou. We have great respect for her but we also have a ton of confidence in our filly. Her preparation has been great for this race and we’ll be ready.”

Also exiting the Apple Blossom is seventh-place finisher Go Google Yourself (Into Mischief), who won Oaklawn’s GIII Bayakoa S. prior to that effort. The bay also won the Groupie Doll S. and GIII Locust Grove S. last summer and was second in the GII Falls City S. in November.

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‘Really Impressive’ Juvenile Winner County Final Switches From Turf To Dirt For Bashford Manor

John Ennis, Hayden Noriega and 47 Roses' eye-catching debut winner County Final will switch surfaces from turf to dirt in search of graded stakes glory in Saturday's $100,000 Bashford Manor presented by TwinSpires.com (Grade III), a six furlong-event for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

“This horse should absolutely love the slight stretch out in distance,” said jockey James Graham, who was aboard for the colt's four-length maiden victory June 5. “We opened up by three-to-four lengths mid-stretch on everyone but what was really impressive was how he extended his stride past the wire. He's a bigger colt with a really long stride. He's got a great mind, too, which is always nice for a younger horse.”

The six-furlong Bashford Manor will go as Race 8 of 11 with a post time of 4:43 p.m. (all times Eastern). The race shares the spotlight on Saturday with the $500,000 Stephen Foster presented by Coca-Cola (GII), $200,000 Fleur de Lis presented by Coca-Cola (GII) and $100,000 Regret presented by TwinSpires.com (GIII). First post is 1 p.m.

County Final, trained by Ennis, has been based at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington. The $9,500 Keeneland September Yearling buy by Oxbow drew the outside post No. 7 in the Bashford Manor.

“I really like that we'll be the last horse to load in the gate,” Graham said. “If he breaks well, we'll be able to see what the other horses to our inside are doing in the early stages. He has speed and he trains well on the dirt. So, the switch from the turf to the dirt should be no problem either.”

The Bashford Manor field, which features all first-out maiden winners, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Crown and Coke (Miguel Mena, James Lawrence II, 30-1); Hulen (Corey Lanerie, Steve Asmussen, 5-1); Gatsby (Tyler Gaffalione, Juan Alvarado, 4-1); Hyperfocus (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 4-1); Herd Immunity (Brian Hernandez Jr., Peter Miller, 9-2); Cazadero (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen, 8-5); and County Final (Graham, Ennis, 6-1).

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Serengeti Empress Up For The ‘Challenge,’ Faces Off With Midnight Bisou In Fleur De Lis

Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) winner Serengeti Empress is ready for her showdown versus 2019 Champion Midnight Bisou in Saturday's $200,000 Fleur de Lis presented by Coca-Cola (GII) at Churchill Downs – a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In Distaff Division” race.

“If you want to talk about a challenge, this is it,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “We face a challenge with champion Midnight Bisou. We have great respect for her but we also have a ton of confidence in our filly. Her preparation has been great for this race and we'll be ready.”

The speedy Serengeti Empress led every step of the way in last year's Kentucky Oaks. The daughter of Alternation's 3-year-old campaign included a narrow runner-up effort in the $500,000 Test (GI) and third-place finish in the Longines Distaff. In her 4-year-old campaign, Serengeti Empress was a convincing 6 ¼-length winner of the March 14 Azeri (GII).

The Fleur de Lis field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Go Google Yourself (Brian Hernandez Jr., Paul McGee, 8-1); Another Broad (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 12-1); Chocolate Kisses (Declan Carroll, Mark Casse, 12-1); Serengeti Empress (Joe Talamo, Amoss, 2-1); Midnight Bisou (Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen, 3-5); Red Dane (Corey Lanerie, Charlie LoPresti, 50-1); and Motion Emotion (Julien Leparoux, Richard Baltas, 15-1).

All horses will tote 120 pounds except Midnight Bisou and Serengeti Empress who will carry 124.

The Fleur de Lis – which means “Flower of the Lily” and honors the French symbol that is incorporated into the city of Louisville's Flag – will be run as Race 9 at 5:15 p.m. (all times Eastern). It will be televised live on NBC from 5-6 p.m.

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