Bashford Manor Stakes Racing Roundup

The 2011 Triple Crown is in the history books.

But the racing season for 2-year-old thoroughbreds on the trail to the 2012 Triple Crown kicks off Saturday with the 110^th running of the $100,000 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The promising Kantharos, who was taken off the trail due to injury, won last year’s Bashford Manor defeating a field of six by 9½-lengths. Kantharos won his maiden debut by 11¾-lengths at Churchill Downs and his win in the Bashford Manor Stakes quickly established him as the early buzz horse.

Tom Amoss sends Sum Of The Parts to the post tomorrow at the 3-1 morning line favorite and it remains to be seen if any of the eleven horses entered in this edition of the Bashford Manor will emerge as the early leader.

I like Sum Of The Parts in this race. He easily won his maiden debut defeating runner-up Exfactor, who is also entered in this race, by 2¾-lengths. If he wins, he could, perhaps, become the early buzz horse.

Sum Of The Parts is a descendant of Mr. Prospector and with six Bashford Manor victors since 1990, that sire line has produced the most winners: Backtalk (2009), Circular Quay (2006), Limehouse (2003), Lone Star Sky (2002), Duality (2000) and Dance Master (1999).

Speightstown, the sire of Sum Of The Parts, has never produced a winner of the Bashford Manor Stakes, but his offspring are often precocious sprinters and he currently is ranked third on the Juvenile Sire List with four winners in seven starters for 57%.

Three long shots I like are Bonaparte, Power World and Lil Cheokee who are tied, along with Friscan, as the 6-1 morning line third-choice.

Bonaparte easily won his maiden debut by 5-¼ lengths May 30 at Churchill Downs. His sire, Touch Gold, is a Canadian Hall of Fame thoroughbred that was competitive from 6- to 12-furlongs and won the 1997 Belmont Stakes (G1).

Rahy, the damsire of Bonaparte, was a multiple Group Stakes winning sprinter in England that proved to be an effective middle-distance router in America. Rahy sired the Bashford Manor Stakes winning filly Miss Ra He Ra (1993).

Deputy Minister, the grandsire of Bonaparte, was also the damsire of Bashford Manor Stakes winner Lone Star Sky.

Touch Gold is ranked 31^st on the Juvenile Sire List and has four winners in six starters for 67%.

Power World made an impressive stretch run, closing in the stretch from 7^th-place of an eight-horse field, to win his maiden debut by one length at Churchill Downs on June 11.

Power World is also a descendant of the Mr. Prospector sire line. His sire, Distorted Humor, and damsire, Storm Cat, are well known for getting precocious sprinters and I look for Power World to be competitive.

In addition, Lady Be Good, the fourth dam of Power World, is ranked 11^th on the November Top 40 Dam Lines of SW’s 1995 to Present, compiled by Roger Lyons of Pedigree Matters.

Distorted Humor is ranked 15^th on the Juvenile Sire list with four winners in eight starters for 50%.

Lil Cherokee, a precocious son of Cherokee Run, comes into the race undefeated in two starts including a half-length win in the 5-furlong TTA Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park on June 11.

Cherokee Run is ranked 7^th on the Juvenile Sire list with three winners in six starters for 50%.

The Bashford Manor is the 12^th race, on a 13-race card, with a post time of 6:23 EDT.