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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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Sonneman No Match For Celtic Striker In Two-Horse Easy Goer

Imperial Racing's Celtic Striker bested Courtlandt Farm's Sonneman by 19 3/4-lengths in Thursday's $80,000 Easy Goer, a 1 1/16-miles test for sophomores reduced to just two contenders after scratches at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Easy Goer marked the first match race on the NYRA circuit since Painted Poney topped Epiphany in a claiming sprint on January 29, 2015 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Ray Handal and piloted by Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winning rider Manny Franco, Celtic Striker took command out of the gate and never looked back.

A second-out maiden winner at Monmouth Park in October, Celtic Striker rattled off splits of 23.55 and 46.55 second on the fast main track with Sonneman, piloted by Jose Ortiz, tracking outside.

Sonneman attempted an inside move approaching the turn, but Celtic Striker continued to improve his advantage through three-quarters in 1:10.50. Celtic Striker angled wide into the lane and galloped clear down the center of the Belmont stretch run for the open lengths score in a final time of 1:42.37. Informative, Casino Grande and Prodigious Bay were early scratches from the Easy Goer, with Toy scratched at the gate.

Handal said he felt confident throughout the unique event.

“I felt good early on. I could tell he was really travelling well,” said Handal. “Jose [Ortiz, aboard Sonneman] tried to angle him in early on the backside and make a little bit of a middle move, but when Celtic Striker kicked away from him and then came back over in front of him, I felt pretty good. I knew there was a lot of running to do. But I knew he was going to be tough the way he was travelling out there.”

A $100,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, Celtic Striker – by Congrats – captured an optional-claiming mile in February at Parx, but was off-the-board in three previous stakes attempts when fourth in the Jerome in January at the Big A; 11th in the Grade 3 Gotham in March at Aqueduct; and sixth last out in the Grade 3 Matt Winn on May 23 at Churchill Downs.

Franco said he wanted to utilize Celtic Striker's gate speed to his advantage.

“I knew that my horse was a lot faster than the other one, so I took advantage,” said Franco. “I just wanted to keep him on the inside to see what kind of move he made, and I made my move first. In a two-horse race, I didn't want to move too soon if I didn't have to, but I wanted to make it difficult for the other horse, too.”

Sonneman, who was making his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in the Easy Goer, was a winner at third asking in October at Belmont Park in a one-turn mile on Big Sandy for his former conditioner Mark Hennig. He made his sophomore debut a winning one last out when rallying from last-of-eight to capture an optional-claiming sprint at Gulfstream Park.

Ortiz said he knew his colt would be at a disadvantage in the scratch-reduced field.

“My horse comes from off the pace. Clearly, it would have benefited me with a bigger field,” said Ortiz. ” I broke OK. I tried to push Manny a little bit to ensure an honest pace. My plan was to be up as close as I could and try to wear him out late, but when Manny asked his horse, he just drew away from me.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stoneview Farm Inc. and Craig D. Upham, Celtic Striker banked $44,000 in victory while improving his record to 6-3-1-0. He paid $5.50 as the 8-5 second choice in wagering.

Live racing resumes Friday with a nine-race card headlined by the $75,000 Hessonite for older filly and mare turf sprinters in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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Midnight Bisou, Serengeti Empress Set To Battle In Fleur de Lis

Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's 2019 Champion Older Female Midnight Bisou is set to return against Joel Politti's speedy 2019 Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) winner Serengeti Empress in Saturday's 45th running of the $200,000 Fleur de Lis (GII) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

For the sixth year in a row, the 1 1/8-mile Fleur de Lis is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” stakes event, which means the winner will be guaranteed a berth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

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.

Midnight Bisou (20-12-5-3—$7,250,000), trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, has been nothing short of spectacular throughout her 20-race career. The now 5-year-old mare began her career on the 2018 Road to the Kentucky Oaks with victories in the $200,000 Santa Ynez (GII), $100,000 Santa Ysabel (GIII) and $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (GI) with previous trainer Bill Spawr. Midnight Bisou finished third behind Monomoy Girl in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Under the care of Asmussen, Midnight Bisou reeled off victories in the $250,000 Mother Goose (GII), $1 million Cotillion (GI), $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (GIII), $350,000 Azeri (GII), $750,000 Apple Blossom (GI), $700,000 Ogden Phipps (GI), $150,000 Molly Pitcher (GIII), $700,000 Personal Ensign (GI) and $300,000 Beldame (GII).

Earlier this year on Feb. 29, Midnight Bisou was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Maximum Security in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup, which featured a field of 14 at 1 1/8 miles in the world's richest horse race at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

“Her training before we went to Saudi was just mindboggling,” Asmussen said. “It's just like it is now. We still wonder how she's able to do it so easily and so consistently. Her works at Churchill have been beautiful. I was very tempted to run her in the (June 13) Ogden Phipps and leaving She's a Julie for the Fleur de Lis. I feel like with what she's done – traveling to Saudi, taking on older boys and everyone knows the trip she got and knows the circumstances … how do you have an adjective for what she is and what she means to racing? Coming back, the next race isn't the goal for this year. The Breeders' Cup is. She is arguably the best horse in the world.”

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will be in the irons from post No. 5.

Serengeti Empress, the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Oaks, will attempt to get the jump on Midnight Bisou as the Tom Amoss trainee will likely be the speed of the race from post 4 under Joe Talamo.

“We have all the confidence in the world of our filly,” Amoss said. “We know how she likes to go and that's to be on the lead. It's a tough matchup against a champion but the way our horse has prepared for this race has us very confident she'll put in a great performance.”

Serengeti Empress (15-6-3-1—$1,732,853) 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 theLongines 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 also will include Jay Em Ess Stable's multiple Grade III winner Go Google Yourself (20-7-5-3—$640,959), Abbondanza Racing, Mark DeDomenico and Medallion Racing's stakes winner Motion Emotion (14-3-5-0—$454,196), Debby Oxley's recent Shawnee Stakes runner-up Chocolate Kisses (13-3-3-2—$310,910), Calumet Farm's three-time winner Red Dane (Ity) (27-3-3-4—$181,644) and Farfellow Farm's multiple graded stakes placed Another Broad (17-4-3-2—$332,605).

The Fleur de Lis field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Go Google Yourself (Brian Hernandez Jr., Paul McGee); Another Broad (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher); Chocolate Kisses (Declan Carroll, Mark Casse); Midnight Bisou (Smith, Asmussen); Red Dane (Corey Lanerie, Charlie LoPresti); and Motion Emotion (Julien Leparoux, Richard Baltas).

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

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Romping Maiden Winner Cazadero Faces 6 Juveniles In Saturday’s Bashford Manor

Stonestreet Stables' eye-popping 8 ¾-length maiden winner Cazadero leads a field of seven promising 2-year-olds in search of graded stakes glory in Saturday's 119th running of the $100,000 Bashford Manor (Grade III).

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 (GII), $200,000 Fleur de Lis presented (GII) and $100,000 Regret (GIII). First post is 1 p.m.

Cazadero, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, dazzled in his debut on May 29 at Churchill Downs under Ricardo Santana Jr. Cazadero, a 2-year-old homebred son of Street Sense, sported an impressive work tab entering his maiden race which included a swift half-mile move in :46.40 from the gate at Keeneland. Since his debut, Cazadero has been stabled with Asmussen's string at Churchill Downs.

Santana will have the call from post No. 6.

Also entered in the race is Cazadero's stablemate Hulen, who recently bested seven rivals by 1 ½ lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on June 12. Owned by Asmussen's longtime owners Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt along with Madaket Stables and Spendthrift Farm, Hulen was bred in Texas by the Asmussen family and was sold at the Fasig Tipton October Yearling Sale for $50,000.

Corey Lanerie will be in the irons from post 2.

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

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