Asmussen can tie Lukas’s mark in Bashford Manor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The curtain comes down Friday night on the Churchill Downs spring meet, but not before a final flurry of action. The Bashford Manor Stakes anchors an 11-race finale that includes two other stakes on a Downs After Dark card that starts at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Usual suspects Steve Asmussen and Mark Casse are represented by major contenders in the Grade 3, $100,000 Bashford Manor, a six-furlong race that drew six 2-year-olds. Asmussen seems to have the upper hand with Copper Bullet, whose runaway maiden victory here last month should make the colt a solid favorite.

“He’s a talented individual,” said Asmussen, whose four Bashford Manor wins (2004, 2007, 2010, 2014) have him one away from the stakes record held by D. Wayne Lukas. “He’s trained very well all along. We’ve had this race in mind for him for quite some time.”

Copper Bullet, with Florent Geroux to ride, will break from post 5. Mo Diddley, with Corey Lanerie riding for Casse, starts from post 3, while Ten City, in from Keeneland for Kenny McPeek, breaks from post 6 with Robby Albarado aboard.

Ten City “could be any kind,” said McPeek. “He won as impressively as any 2-year-old I’ve ever had. We’re very excited about him.”

Three shippers complete the lineup: I’m Corfu (post 1, Arienne Cox) and Fig Jelly (post 4, Sophie Doyle) are in from Pennsylvania as an uncoupled Wayne Rice entry, and Hardwork clean livin (post 2, Channing Hill) is in from Texas for Danny Pish.

The Bashford Manor, named for an old neighborhood about seven miles southeast of the track, was first run in 1902 and was first graded in 1991. Grindstone, fourth in 1995, was the last of six eventual Kentucky Derby winners to run in the Bashford Manor.

The Bashford Manor is the second leg in the 20-cent Single 6 sequence (races 5-10), which will have a mandatory jackpot dispersal with the conclusion of the 38-day meet. Into Wednesday, the carryover stood at $131,373.

KEY CONTENDERS

Copper Bullet, by More Than Ready Beyers: 75-NA

◗ After finishing second at Keeneland to a heavy Todd Pletcher favorite, Salmanazar, this bay colt blew the doors open May 25 as an odds-on favorite and has had four recorded breezes over the local course in the interim.

Ten City, by Run Away and Hide No Beyers

◗ He was one of the flashiest 2-year-olds at the Keeneland meet in April when galloping to a seven-length score; he’ll get Lasix for the first time when favorably drawn in the outside post.

Mo Diddley, by Uncle Mo Beyer: 56

◗ Casse is looking for improvement over his May 18 debut, where he was life and death to prevail as the 2-5 favorite.