Study Guide: 2024 Street Sense Stakes
Oct 23, 2024
Sandman wins at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos / Credit Chelsea Durrand)
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is making a stop at the Kentucky Derby (G1) host track for Sunday’s $200,000 Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Held over 1 1/16 miles on dirt, the Street Sense awards a total of 21 Kentucky Derby qualification points, split 10-5-3-2-1 among the top five finishers.
A strong 10-horse field has entered the Street Sense. Let’s meet the entrants:
Big Much
Big Much wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)
Start(s): 1
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: JoAnn and Alex Lieblong
Breeder: Alex and JoAnn Lieblong
Trainer: Norm Casse
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Top Speed Rating: (79) when winning his debut at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $69,000
Sire: Outwork
Dam: Trust
Color: Bay
Big Much closed nicely from a few lengths off the pace to win his debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. But he didn’t run especially fast on the clock, earning a 79 Brisnet Speed rating, so he’ll need improvement to challenge against tougher competition in the Street Sense.
Bracket Buster
Bracket Buster wins at Keeneland. (Photo by Coady Media)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 1
Owner: BBN Racing
Breeder: David Baxter
Trainer: Victoria Oliver
Jockey: Axel Concepcion
Top Speed Rating: (83) when breaking his maiden at Keeneland.
Total Earnings: $61,053
Sire: Vekoma
Dam: Spring Dance
Color: Bay
Bracket Buster lost his first two starts sprinting but improved when stretching out over 1 1/16 miles for a Keeneland maiden special weight, pressing the pace on his way to victory by half a length. He’s progressing in the right direction, but his career-best 83 Brisnet Speed rating looks a little light against Sunday’s field.
Baby Boat
Start(s): 2
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Doubledown Stables
Breeder: Spendthrift Farm
Trainer: James DiVito
Jockey: Gerardo Corrales
Top Speed Rating: (81) when winning an $80,000 allowance optional claimer at Hawthorne.
Total Earnings: $42,600
Sire: Vino Rosso
Dam: Anahauc
Color: Chestnut
Baby Boat is unbeaten and unchallenged in two starts against easier competition at Hawthorne, winning by margins of 6 3/4 lengths and three lengths. But both of those were 5 1/2-furlong sprints, and with his career-best 81 Brisnet Speed rating, Baby Boat faces a meaningful challenge stepping up in class and distance for the Street Sense.
Sandman
Sandman wins at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos / Credit Chelsea Durand)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables
Breeder: Lothenbach Stables
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (90) when breaking his maiden at Saratoga.
Total Earnings: $67,195
Sire: Tapit
Dam: Distorted Music
Color: Gray/roan
Sandman was a fast maiden winner during the summer at Saratoga, winning a seven-furlong sprint by 1 3/4 lengths with a flashy 90 Brisnet Speed rating. But he regressed to an 81 when rallying after a slow start to finish fifth in the one-mile Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs, his Road to the Kentucky Derby debut. Perhaps if Sandman gets off to a sharper start in the Street Sense, he can bounce back to peak form for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
Tiztastic
Tiztastic wins at Kentucky Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith
Breeder: Capital Bloodstock
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Cristian Torres
Top Speed Rating: (86) when winning an allowance at Kentucky Downs.
Total Earnings: $742,300
Sire: Tiz the Law
Dam: Keesha
Color: Dark bay/brown
Tiztastic is unbeaten in two starts on turf, most recently battling to victory in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile. But he didn’t fare as well in his lone dirt start, finishing fifth in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. Returning to dirt is a question mark for Tiztastic.
Reach for the Rose
Start(s): 5
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 1
Owner: Kenneth L. Ramsey
Breeder: Kenneth L. Ramsey and Sarah K. Ramsey
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Jockey: Jaime Torres
Top Speed Rating: (91) when finishing second in the Royal Palm Juvenile S. at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $184,725
Sire: Audible
Dam: Divine Mission
Color: Dark bay/brown
Reach for the Rose has spent four of his five starts competing on turf, placing twice at the stakes level. But his lone victory came on dirt at Saratoga when he won a one-mile maiden special weight by 5 1/2 lengths. A son of 2018 Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Audible, Reach for the Rose may have upside while returning to dirt.
Dapper Moon
Dapper Moon wins at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: Valene Farms
Breeder: Coteau Grove Farms
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (93) when breaking his maiden at Saratoga.
Total Earnings: $98,438
Sire: Malibu Moon
Dam: Fashioned Gem
Color: Gray/roan
Dapper Moon ran respectably when making his Road to the Kentucky Derby debut in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland earlier this month, finishing fourth in a large field. He’d previously trounced a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga with a strong 93 Brisnet Speed rating, so Dapper Moon ranks as one of the main Street Sense win threats.
Comes a Time
Comes a Time (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
Start(s): 1
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Rupp Racing
Breeder: Not This Time Syndicate and AgricolaMatriarca SPA
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez
Top Speed Rating: (87) when winning his debut at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $49,500
Sire: Not This Time
Dam: Bachelors Walk
Color: Dark bay/brown
Comes a Time impressed in his debut sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in an Aqueduct maiden special weight, closing from a couple lengths off the pace to prevail by half a length with an 87 Brisnet Speed rating. He’s bred to shine while stretching out over 1 1/16 miles for hot trainer Brad Cox, so Comes a Time has every chance to vie for victory in the Street Sense.
Forged Steel
Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stable
Breeder: Richard E. Wilson
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Top Speed Rating: (82) when breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $38,800
Sire: Vekoma
Dam: Scorecard
Color: Gray/roan
Forged Steel has shown ability on both dirt and turf, but he exits a last-place finish in the Kentucky Down Juvenile Mile and needs to improve upon his career-best 82 Brisnet Speed rating to factor in the Street Sense, which marks his graded stakes debut.
Sovereignty
Start(s): 2
Wins: 0
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Godolphin
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Top Speed Rating: (89) when finishing second in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $24,000
Sire: Into Mischief
Dam: Crowned
Color: Bay
Sovereignty might be a 0-for-2 maiden, but he’s competed in a couple of tough maiden special weights in New York, finishing fourth and second with competitive Brisnet Speed ratings of 88 and 89. The winner of his debut, Tip Top Thomas, returned to finish second in the Champagne (G1) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, so Sovereignty shouldn’t be overmatched while stepping up to the Grade 3 level for the Street Sense.
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