Rookie Salsa Aims to Double Dip in Bashford Manor

Nearly two months after winning the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs, Rookie Salsa will return to the Louisville track June 29 for the $125,000 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3), the first graded stakes of the season for juveniles. 

Trained by Maryland-based Jeremiah O'Dwyer, Rookie Salsa showed determination in the stretch as he rallied from fourth to post a 1 1/2-length victory in the five-furlong Kentucky Juvenile May 1 at Churchill, pulling off a 27-1 upset in the field of eight. The Florida-bred son of Two Step Salsa  followed with a third-place finish in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont Stakes June 7 at Belmont Park and will stretch out a bit more in the six-furlong Bashford Manor.

Taking another crack at Rookie Salsa will be Hat Creek Racing's Alec and Arthur, who carried a two-length advantage into the stretch in the Kentucky Juvenile before settling for third. Trained by John Hancock, the son of Successful Appeal bounced back with a frontrunning score in a June 6 allowance race at Churchill, drawing off in the stretch of that five-furlong test to score by 3 1/4 lengths.

The expected field of 10 also features a pair of runners entered off impressive debut wins. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has L and N Racing's Rowdy Yates, who will start from the outside post after drawing off to win his 5 1/2-furlong debut by 4 3/4 lengths May 31 at Churchill. Trainer Rey Hernandez has shipped in Finnick the Fierce, a Dialed In  colt he owns with Arnaldo Monge, off a clear victory in a five-furlong test June 14 at Indiana Grand.

One race before the Bashford Manor, some promising juvenile fillies will try the same six-furlong distance in the $125,000 Debutante Stakes.

The expected field of nine includes Chuck and Maribeth Sandford's Indy Takes Charge, who rallied from fourth early to score by 3 1/4 lengths in her maiden debut May 31 at Churchill, and Three Chimneys Farm's Magic Dance, who tracked early in her June 7 maiden debut at Churchill before drawing off in the stretch for a 4 3/4-length victory.

Shipping in from California for trainer Mike Harrington is Terry Lovingier and Amanda Navarro's Cholula Lips, a California-bred daughter of Empire Way who scored a 3 1/4-length victory in a May 24 maiden race at Santa Anita Park. Jockey Rafael Bejarano makes the trip from Southern California.

Entries: Debutante S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 29, 2019, Race 10

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $125,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 5:26 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Secretly Wicked (KY)	Chantal Sutherland	120	Jack L. Hancock	8/1
2	2Indy Takes Charge (KY)	Chris Landeros	120	Patrick B. Byrne	3/1
3	3Megan Marie (CA)	Corey J. Lanerie	120	Jonathan Nance	10/1
4	4Street Flyer (KY)	Tyler Baze	120	James K. Chapman	12/1
5	5My Good Girl (KY)	Carlos Villasana	120	Marco A. Castaneda	10/1
6	6Cholula Lips (CA)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Mike Harrington	7/2
7	7Magic Dance (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Steven M. Asmussen	8/5
8	8Lady George (MD)	Florent Geroux	120	Carla L. Morgan	10/1
9	9Lady Glamour (KY)	James Graham	118	Larry W. Demeritte	15/1

Entries: Bashford Manor S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 29, 2019, Race 11

• Grade III
• 6f
• Dirt
• $125,000
• 2 yo
• 5:59 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Phantom Boss (CA)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Jorge Periban	9/5
2	2Snell Yeah (KY)	Gabriel Saez	118	John Ennis	8/1
3	3Alec and Arthur (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	John A. Hancock	8/1
4	4Rookie Salsa (FL)	Angel Suarez	122	Jeremiah O'Dwyer	5/1
5	5Finnick the Fierce (KY)	Abel Lezcano	120	Rey Hernandez	30/1
6	6Silent Malice (KY)	Chris Landeros	118	Patrick B. Byrne	20/1
7	7Jamming Cameron (KY)	Aaron J. Court	120	Tommy C. Short	30/1
8	8Verb (KY)	James Graham	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	9/2
9	9Two Last Words (IN)	Corey J. Lanerie	120	Tim Glyshaw	15/1
10	10Rowdy Yates (OK)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Steven M. Asmussen	7/2