Asmussen looking to tie Lukas' Debutante, Bashford Manor records

Asmussen looking to tie Lukas' Debutante, Bashford Manor

records

Trainer Steve Asmussen is no stranger to success with two-year-olds at Churchill

Downs, and he will be looking to continue such success on Saturday.

Asmussen plans to start Areolite (Tapit) and Adhara in the $100,000

Debutante S. for two-year-old fillies, and

Sapphire Storm (Primal Storm) and Show Bound (Warrior's Reward) in the $100,000 Bashford Manor

S. (G3) for two-year-olds. Both races are run at six furlongs on the main

track.

Areolite and Adhara, both Winchell Thoroughbreds homebreds, are coming into the race

off maiden victories at Churchill Downs, winning by one length and 6 3/4 lengths,

respectively.

The juvenile fillies were seen on the fast track at Churchill Downs Sunday

breezing a half-mile ahead of their forthcoming starts in the Debutante.

Areolite was caught in :49 3/5 while Adhara traveled in :50 1/5 Sunday.

Both fillies look to give Asmussen his fifth win in the

Debutante, which would tie Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas' five-win record

in this race. His previous success in the Debutante came with Cashier's Dream

(2001), Effectual (2005), Richwoman (2006) and Rated Fiesty (2007).

Sapphire Storm (Primal Storm) will enter the Bashford Manor off a

maiden victory second time out at Indiana Grand, with his first race being a

third-place effort against Texas-breds at Lone Star Park. Still a maiden, Show

Bound will make his second start in the Bashford Manor after finishing third in

his June 7 debut on the Belmont Park turf.

Like the Debutante, Asmussen is looking for his fifth

Bashford Manor victory which would tie Lukas' record in the race. Asmussen has

found previous success in the Bashford Manor with Lunarpal (2004), Kodiak Kowboy

(2007), Kantharos (2010) and Cinco Charlie (2014).

"I think they'll handle it (the distance) real

well," Asmussen said. "This year, it seems like we have some really nice

two-year-olds. I hope that this success continues on."

Other probables for the Debutante include maiden Cosmic

Evolution (Prized Citizen), who was second behind Areolite last out; debut

winner Langstars Charmer (Langfuhr); second-out scorer Sheza Fine

Justice (Regal Ransom); and maiden victress Tia Chuy (Archarcharch).

Probables for the Bashford Manor include maiden romper He's Comin In Hot

(Early Flyer) as well as maidens Dothat Dance (Louis Quatroze) and

Justanothermorgan (Zavata).

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