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Kodiak Kowboy wrangles Bashford Manor Vinery Stables' KODIAK KOWBOY (Posse) drove to a 2 3/4-length tally in the $165,150 Bashford Manor S. (G3), handing trainer Steve Asmussen a clean sweep of Saturday's juvenile stakes at Churchill Downs. With Corey Lanerie in the irons, the bay colt raced a close-up third through the opening quarter in :21 3/5, vied for the lead on the outside while clocking :45 for the half-mile, and widened his advantage in the lane. Dispatched as the 9-5 favorite, Kodiak Kowboy completed six furlongs on the fast track in a sparkling 1:09 to pay $5.80, $3.40 and $2.40. "My horse was just waiting for the call," Lanerie said. "I tapped him on the shoulder and he about jerked me out of the saddle. From there I just kept him busy. I was just a passenger." Dr. Nick (Authenticate) rallied from last to gain second by three-quarters of a length, despite being floated wide on the turn. The nearly 5-1 runner-up furnished mutuels of $5.20 and $3.60. Crackalackin (Tiger Ridge) ran evenly for third as the longest shot on the board at nearly 15-1, giving back $3.80. The exacta totaled $33, the trifecta was worth $203.60, and with 6-1 Blackberry Road (Gone West) in fourth, the 4-8-5-7 superfecta was good for $894.80. Early pace factors Motovato (Proud Citizen) and Hargill (El Corredor) trailed, while Ascot Hall (Aldebaran) and Little Nick (Tiger Ridge) were withdrawn. Kodiak Kowboy was chalking up his third straight victory, following scores in a Churchill maiden in May and the Victoria S. over Woodbine's Polytrack in June. With Saturday's $101,373 payday, his bankroll nearly doubled to $204,825 from his 4-3-0-0 line. Bred by Hartwell Farm in Kentucky, Kodiak Kowboy brought $40,000 as a weanling at the 2005 Keeneland November Sale, and he was pinhooked for $70,000 at last year's OBS August Yearling Sale. He is the second foal from the unraced Coronado's Quest mare Kokadrie, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire West by West (Gone West). Kokadrie also has an unnamed yearling colt by Golden Missile. Asmussen indicated that Kodiak Kowboy could step up in distance. "We'll wait and see what we need to do with him," Asmussen said. "We're very comfortable about him wanting to go further. He definitely surprised us by that. When we first had him, he showed us some speed. I ran him a quarter of a mile and got him beat (at Woodbine on April 29), but in every one of his races he was strongest at the end."
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