7/2, 4 (CD): Bashford Manor S. (G3); Firecracker H. (G2)
 

12th (6:23) Bashford Manor S. (G3)

6 Furlongs | Open | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $100,000

1 Laurie's Rocket Hernandez B J Jr 116 L
2 Lil Cherokee Mena M 120 LA
3 Power World Lanerie C J 118 L
4 Exfactor Borel C H 118 L
5 Chalybeate Springs Castanon J L 116
6 Bonaparte Court J K 118 L
7 Sum of the Parts Goncalves L R 118 L
8 Hot Speed Albarado R J 120 LA
9 Tarpy's Goal Desormeaux K J 118 LA
10 Green Mouse Cruz M R 118 L
11 Friscan Bridgmohan S X 118 LA

I suggest watching Power World's last. . . It's possible he was beating nothing, but that isn't a move you see very often in that type of race.

I got tweets today from Derbycontenders that Tarpy's Goal and Lil Cherokee are scratching. Also, Laurie's Rocket is entered vs. maidens the next day. Still a fun race.

Tarpy's Goal's running in the terribad Futurity.

MONDAY 10th (5:25) Firecracker H. (G2)

1 Mile (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $175,000

1 General Quarters Theriot H J II 119 L
2 Omniscient Cruz M R 113 LA
3 Mister Marti Gras Bridgmohan S X 115 LA
4 El Caballo Lanerie C J 114 LA
5 Mystic Castanon J L 114 LA
6 Joshua Reynolds Hernandez B J Jr 114 L
7 Baryshnikov Leparoux J R 117 LA
8 Plutonium Lopez J 112 LA
9 Strike Impact Albarado R J 117 L
10 Wise Dan Court J K 115 L
11 Lubash Desormeaux K J 115 LA

The race hasn't happened yet. . . getting in gate now.

Turn back the clock day at Churchill Downs.

Borel has five wins today (none on a favorite) and he just took the feature in last-to-first fashion.

You're not going to find a more productive family then the bottom side of Exfactor's pedigree. Going back to 3rd dam Gils Magic, there must be about a billion winners dropped from herself, her daughters, and granddaughters.

There's an affinity for Churchill Downs as well. Magical Flash, the second dam, dropped 3 different winners at one spring/summer meet a couple of years back. Within the span of 2 weeks, Inside Passage had won a maiden special, Overnight Sensation had won an allowance, and Take The Ribbon had won either a stakes or an allowance.

3 of Bright Magic's offspring just raced at the winter Santa Anita meet (The Hirsch family has raced most of the family), though with only modest success.

What did you think of Magical Mile?

Fan, or not?

I just started following racing back then, so I believed the hype. But he disappeared as soon as he won the Juvenile Championship, so it's a moot point. With his reputation there was a lot of anticipation for his comeback. He ran OK a couple of times but either the others caught up or he just wasn't the same.

In retrospect, it's hard to get excited about those early season 2yos. They rarely train on, rarely stretch out, and a lot of the time go on the shelf.

If I had to guess, he probably would have done damage at the Del Mar meet if he held together. The 2yos were a ragtag bunch at that meet, with an ex-claimer winning the Futurity and a filly running 2nd a week after winning the Debutante. The better colts were route types that were just getting warmed up (ie Grand Canyon, Pleasant Tap, Single Dawn).

I mostly agree with you, but I think he might have been exceptional. Whether he'd have gone longer, who knows, but Tobin could throw horses that got a distance.

i think the churchill guys will have a good shot at toga thiis year were they were total toss outs in the past imo

14-1 and ridden like he couldn't lose...pretty impressive for Wise Dan really, regardless of what was behind him.

Kent D. with another brilliant ride.

I haven't seen all of Kent's rides at Churchill lately, but from what I have seen, he has been horrendous. What he did to Empress of Gold mid-stretch on Thursday was incomprehensible.

What, the right handed whip?

I thought the previous 90% of the ride was pretty dumb.

You are probably correct about the 1st 90% of the ride, but it still would have led to an open length victory if not for his striking the horse right-handed while hugging the rail, forcing her off stride and nearly causing her to jump the rail. If he just hand rides the entire stretch he wins by 4.

Fun talks with Bernie Flint Monday and Charlie Lopresti Tuesday on ATR...

Lopresti bringing a handful of horses to Saratoga including Wise Dan (Baruch perhaps), Turallure (Four Star Dave) and Here Comes Ben (Forego). Also has an unraced 3yo half brother of Wise Dan and Successful Dan by Mutakddim (Full to Boss Zach) that should debut soon, and a number of 2yo's. Speaking of Successful Dan, Lopresti made it sound like it doesn't good for him ever getting back to the races as the same horse. Suspensory issues.

Flint will consider all the obvious stake opps for Exfactor including Saratoga with eye on either Breeders' Cup Juvenile race (6f/8.5f) depending on the colt's stretchout response.