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Backtalk offers winning riposte in Bashford Manor Gold Mark Farm's BACKTALK (Smarty Jones) justified 4-5 favoritism, and the high regard of trainer Tom Amoss, when overcoming adversity in Friday's $110,500 Bashford Manor S. (G3) at Churchill Downs. After stumbling at the start, and being bottled up at the top of the stretch, the chestnut colt muscled his way through to win going away by a length. Backtalk, who was coming off a 2 3/4-length debut score beneath the Twin Spires, stopped the teletimer in 1:11 for six fast-track furlongs. Regrouping from his bobbling break, Backtalk took up a stalking role beneath Miguel Mena and rated kindly just off the pace. Meanwhile, Soundman (Songandaprayer) flew out of the gate and rattled off testing splits of :21 4/5 and :45 4/5. Flatter Than Me (Flatter) stalked in second, and Grand Slam Andre (Grand Slam), who also broke awkwardly, recovered to creep into a menacing position on the outside. Flatter Than Me swept into the lead turning into the stretch and opened up a daylight margin at the eighth-pole, getting five furlongs in :58. Grand Slam Andre continued to press his case, and in so doing, he kept Backtalk hemmed in, but he could not keep him locked up for the duration. Driving through a seam the moment it appeared, Backtalk displayed a smart turn of foot to collar Flatter Than Me in the final yards. The popular winner returned $3.60, $2.60 and $2.20 while keying the $15 exacta, $78 trifecta and $199.60 superfecta (5-9-3-1). Flatter Than Me, the 7-2 second choice, furnished $3.60 and $3.20. The 12-1 Brassy Boy (Storm and a Half) outfinished Grand Slam Andre by a length for third, yielding $4. Soundman tired to fifth and was followed by Westrock Gold (Touch Gold), Vito Filitto (Mutakddim) and Even Wilder (Even the Score). Mission Impazible (Unbridled's Song), a rallying third in the Kentucky Juvenile (G3) last time out, was withdrawn. Now two-for-two, Backtalk increased his earnings to $90,095. Bred in Florida by Clover Leaf Farms II, he was purchased by his current connections for $250,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Backtalk is a half-brother to six-time stakes star and multiple Grade 1-placed Bsharpsonata (Pulpit), who scored her biggest victories in the 2008 Forward Gal S. (G2) and Davona Dale S. (G2). They are out of Apasionata Sonata (Affirmed), the winner of the 2003 Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf S. Backtalk's second dam is Express Star (Baldski), a seven-time Calder stakes queen. This is also the family of O.B.S. Filly Championship S. heroine Fitz Just Right (Seattle Fitz [Arg]), last seen finishing second in the March 21 Bourbonette Oaks (G3).
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