Tales of Chaucer Looms in Bashford Manor

If the decision was based solely on emotion, trainer Norm Casse wouldn't even be debating the next step for his impressive maiden winner Tales of Chaucer.

It has only been a few months since Casse stepped out from his father Mark Casse's team and opened his own public stable. And barely 50 days removed from saddling his first winner under his own shingle, the 34-year-old Louisville native is set to have his initial stakes starter with Tales of Chaucer among the 13 juveniles entered for the $100,000 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) June 30 at Churchill Downs.

The prospect of notching his first graded win at his home base is all the younger Casse could ask for in terms of sentiment. Whether or not the New York-bred colt in his care ends up going to post Saturday, however, may come down to a matter of logic rather than the heart.

Off the strength of his gate-to-wire, 3 1/2-length triumph first time out June 1 at Belmont Park, Tales of Chaucer figures to vie for favoritism in the six-furlong Bashford Manor should the son of Forty Tales remain in the Bluegrass for his stakes debut. With a dozen other rivals to contend with Saturday, though, the colt's connections are considering waiting for the $100,000 Rockville Centre Stakes against New York-breds over the same distance July 14 at Belmont Park, where he would likely face a smaller cast of challengers.

"We entered in this race not expecting a 13-horse field," said Casse, who won his first race May 10, when Tiznoble romped by 7 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs. "On paper it looks like (Tales of Chaucer) fits in there, and if he runs his race, he'll be very tough to beat. But a lot of things can happen in a 13-horse field, and if we wait two weeks, it will probably be a five-, six-horse field at best against New York-breds.

"Selfishly, I want to run here. Churchill is my home, and I'd love to win a stakes at Churchill. It'd be pretty amazing. But we have to think rationally about this and put our horse in the best position to win."

Whether he runs Saturday or two weekends later, there is enough to take away from Tales of Chaucer's debut outing to give his team optimism he will handle his next step up in class.

Racing over a sloppy (sealed) track at Belmont, Tales of Chaucer validated the potential Casse and his uncle, Justin Casse, saw when they picked him out of the Sequel Bloodstock consignment at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-year-olds In Training Sale.

"He just looks like a racehorse," said Norm Casse, who purchased Tales of Chaucer on behalf of his Cardinal Hill Racing for $58,000 at OBS and now campaigns the colt in partnership with a group that includes Michael and Jules Iavarone, Becky Thomas' Sequel Racing, Samuel Freeman, and Dorsey Jackson. "You look at him, and he's what you would picture a fast racehorse to look like. We were fortunate enough to get him and fortunate to partner up with Becky Thomas, whom I admire a lot.

"As soon as he got up to us at Keeneland, it was pretty apparent he was talented, too."

Chief among Tales of Chaucer's expected rivals in the Bashford Manor is Tom Durant's homebred Shanghaied Roo, who was one of the favorites for the May 3 Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs but was scratched by the state veterinarian minutes before the race.

"It was just a freak incident of him tying up (cramping) before the Kentucky Juvenile," said trainer Bret Calhoun, who won the 2015 Bashford Manor with He's Comin in Hot. "I was so confident in him that day. I thought we could win for fun."

In his April 6 debut at Keeneland, Shanghaied Roo found room along the rail to run down pacesetters Myhotrodlincoln and favored No Bang No Boom and win by 2 1/4 lengths. Myhotrodlincoln went on to run second next time out to Bashford Manor entrant Weiland in the Kentucky Juvenile, which the latter captured by a head at odds of 19-1.

Trainer Steve Asmussen has a pair of entrants as he attempts to win the Bashford Manor for a fifth time.

Whispering Oaks Farm's Sir Truebadour, a half brother to grade 1 winner and former Asmussen trainee Regally Ready, won by four lengths in frontrunning fashion at first asking May 17 at Churchill Downs and then finished fourth in the Tremont Stakes at Belmont June 8. His stablemate Cat Addiction, a half brother to stakes winner Snapper Sinclair, was shuffled back to seventh in his debut going five furlongs at Churchill Downs May 31 before he rallied to drive past the leaders in the stretch and win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Entries: Bashford Manor S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 30, 2018, Race 11

• Grade III
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 2 yo
• 5:56 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Shanghaied Roo (KY)	Gabriel Saez	120	W. Bret Calhoun	9/2
2	2Weiland (KY)	Carlos Villasana	122	John Ennis	6/1
3	3Baytown Glory (KY)	Jack Gilligan	120	Paul McEntee	30/1
4	4Sir Truebadour (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Steven M. Asmussen	4/1
5	5Mr Chocolate Chip (FL)	Euclyn E. Prentice, Jr.	120	Coty Davidson	30/1
6	6The Song of John (FL)	Sonny Leon	120	Rey Hernandez	20/1
7	7Eye Cloud (KY)	Rogelio Miranda	120	Tracy A. Norris	20/1
8	8Mr. Granite (NY)	Nathan Vickers	120	Wayne W. Rice	30/1
9	9Tales of Chaucer (NY)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Norm W. Casse	4/1
10	10Dalliance (NY)	Arienne Cox	122	Wayne W. Rice	20/1
11	11Toothless Wonder (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	7/2
12	12Cat Addiction (KY)	C.J. McMahon	118	Steven M. Asmussen	15/1
13	13Overanalyzer (KY)	Andres Patricio Ulloa	120	Michelle Elliott	20/1