Rosedown Racing's Bashart, winner of the Aug. 29 With Anticipation Stakes (gr. IIT) at Saratoga Race Course in his most recent start, tops a field of 12 2-year-olds entered for the $150,000 Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland Oct. 6.
A 1 1/16-mile grass test, the Bourbon is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) to be run Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park. It will go as the seventh on Sunday's nine-race program with an approximate post time of 4:17 p.m. EDT.
Trained by Todd Pletcher for Rosedown, which is owned by Jeff Weiss of Boca Raton, Fla., Bashart won his past two starts at Saratoga after running third first time out in a July 12 maiden special weight at Belmont Park. His dam, the Clever Trick mare Busy Windsong, was purchased by Weiss for $90,000 with the intent of selling her foal—but Bashart, a War Front colt, was an RNA from the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, the September yearling sale, and the April sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Bashart will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez from post 5. Pletcher has won the Bourbon three times, with Interactif in 2009, Bittel Road in 2008, and Twilight Meteor in 2006.
Another of interest in this event is Iowa-bred Boji Moon, who races for Brian Hall, William Gessman, and River Ridge Ranch. The son of Cactus Ridge, trained by Chris Richard, is undefeated in three starts and won the Sept. 13 Kentucky Downs Juvenile by 5 1/4 lengths in his lone try on grass. Brian Hernandez Jr., who was aboard for the victory at Kentucky Downs, will ride Sunday from the 7 hole.
Bourbon Lane Stables and Mike McMahon's Tiger Bourbon, runner-up in the 5 1/2-furlong Laurel Futurity at Laurel Park Sept. 21 and fourth in the With Anticipation before that, will stretch back out here. The Big Brown colt is trained by Eddie Keneally and will get Rosie Napravnik back when departing post 2.
Windy Hill Farm's Whyruawesome also looks to factor; the gelded son of Whywhywhy was second in the Sept. 7 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) on Polytrack at Arlington Park to Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) favorite Solitary Ranger.
Spendthrift Farm's impressive maiden winner Medal Count , who took a one-mile Sept. 1 allowance at Ellis Park on the dirt by 6 1/4 lengths, made it into the field here on the far outside for Romans. The Dynaformer colt is cross-entered but on the also-eligible list for the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity.
Romans also has an also-eligible in this race, Donegal's Street Sense colt Culprit, third in his only start—a Sept. 7 maiden special weight going seven furlongs on the dirt at Churchill Downs.
Gelfenstein Farm's Bon Accord, by Showing Up, won the Aug. 24 Calder Turf Dash Stakes last time out for trainer Antonio Sano.
Gary and Mary West's Harlan's Holiday colt Poker Player broke his maiden last time out on the Kentucky Downs turf going a mile Sept. 14 for trainer Wayne Catalano.
Catalano has School on a Hill for James Covello, Millennium Farms, and West Point Thoroughbreds in this spot as well. By Student Council, the colt was seventh in the Sept. 14 TVG Summer Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine after breaking his maiden going a mile on the Arlington turf.
Equinox's Manaus also broke his maiden at Kentucky Downs, winning at six furlongs Sept. 7. The son of Stroll races without Lasix for trainer Eduardo Caramori.
Donegal Racing's Oogeley Eye, a Pennsylvania-bred by Afleet Alex , is cross-entered in the Breeders' Futurity Saturday and a maiden special weight on Friday at the Lexington oval for trainer Dale Romans.
Illinois-bred Solar Flair, by Sun King, took the six-furlong Troy Our Boy Stakes at Fairmount Park Sept. 10 for B Jock Racing and trainer Jim DiVito. He broke his maiden July 26 going 5 1/2 furlongs on Arlington's all-weather track.
Calumet Farm maiden All Cash, a son of English Channel trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, completes the field.
$150,000 Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 7, approximate post 4:17 p.m. EDT), 2YOs, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. School On a Hill (KY), N. Arroyo, Jr., 118, W M Catalano
2. Tiger Bourbon (KY), R. Napravnik, 118, E Kenneally
3. All Cash (KY), R. Santana, Jr., 118, D W Lukas
4. Solar Flair (IL), J. Rocco, Jr., 118, J P DiVito
5. Bashart (KY), J.R. Velazquz, 122,T A Pletcher
6. Manaus (KY), L.R. Goncalves, 118, E Caramori - NO LASIX
7. Boji Moon (IA), B.J. Hernandez, Jr., 118, C Richard
8. Bon Accord (KY), J.M. Rios, 118, A Sano
9. Oogeley Eye (PA), C.J. Lanerie, 118, D L Romans
10. Poker Player (KY), C. Hill, 118, W M Catalano
11. Whyruawesome (KY), E.T. Baird, 118, A P Smith
12. Medal Count (KY), R. Albarado, 118, D L Romans
Also Eligible:
13. Culprit (KY), C.J. Lanerie, 118, D L Romans