Off a flashy debut win, Saul Elliott ships in from California for Sunday’s $225,000 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Saul Elliott made his debut May 25 at Santa Anita, going 4 1/2 furlongs against his fellow California-breds. He pressed the pace set by an inside foe before drawing clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths. He stopped the clock in 51.96 seconds and earned a solid early season Beyer Speed Figure of 78. That is the best number in this field and is tied with his Doug O’Neill-trained stablemate Light Won Up – who runs in Sunday’s $225,000 Debutante at Churchill – as the sixth-best figure nationally by a 2-year-old this year.
“He’s always been an above average talent, and we were optimistic he’d run good,” O’Neill said. “Safe to say he exceeded our expectations, and he ran really professionally.”
Saul Elliott is from the small first crop of California stallion Listing, a multiple stakes-winning sprinter on both dirt and turf. All seven entrants in the Bashford Manor are going longer in the six-furlongs race. However, Saul Elliott is the only one stepping up from 4 1/2 furlongs. The others have all raced at five or 5 1/2 furlongs.
“Mentally, he’s wired to handle all that,” O’Neill said. “He’s already at our Keeneland barn, and he shipped in good, he galloped good, and he just has a very mature head on him. He’s come back [since his maiden] and worked a couple of nice works as well. I think he’s going to handle everything well, but we’ll know more Sunday afternoon.”
Comport won his debut going 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill while besting the late-running Password by 2 1/4 lengths. Comport earned a Beyer of 57, the top figure among the Churchill-based juveniles in this race. Password, who comes in as a maiden, figures to enjoy the added distance as a son of classic sire Uncle Mo. He is from the extended family of Preakness Stakes winner and champion National Treasure, among other two-turn stakes performers.
Duke of Suggins, Longstrider, and Spice Runner were all five-furlong debut winners at Churchill. Spice Runner, who earned a 55 Beyer, is from what is expected to be a stellar crop of juveniles by Gun Runner. His current 2-year-olds represent the crop conceived after his record-setting freshman season.
Spice Runner, like his sire, is trained by Steve Asmussen, who has won the Bashford Manor five times. Asmussen is tied for the race’s record with D. Wayne Lukas.
Romeo is the only member of this field with two starts in what is already a well-traveled career. The colt was a 10 1/4-length debut winner at his Laurel Park base, earning a 63 Beyer. He then finished a well-beaten third in the Tremont Stakes at Saratoga. The winner, the filly Mythical, earned the best Beyer of the year by a 2-year-old, a 93. Romeo was awarded a 66, the next-best figure in this field behind Saul Elliott.
◗ The Bashford Manor is the first leg of a mandatory-payout jackpot pick six. The wager had a carryover of $1,265,688 going into Friday’s card.
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