CHURCHILL DOWNS STAKES PREVIEWS

By Darren Rogers —-

CHURCHILL DOWNS’ ‘STARS OF TOMORROW I’ PROGRAM HEADLINED
BY $80,000-ADDED STREET SENSE OVERNIGHT STAKES

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017) – Calumet Farm’s Bravazo and G M B Racing’s Lone Sailor, the second and third place finishers, respectively, in the $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity (Grade I) at Keeneland, are set for a rematch in the $80,000-added Street Sense Overnight Stakes on Sunday’s opening day card at Churchill Downs’ 21-day Fall Meet.

Billed as “Stars of Tomorrow I,” each of Sunday’s 11 races is for 2-year-olds. Admission gates will open at 11:30 a.m. and the first race is 1 p.m.

The one-mile Street Sense, one of four stakes races on the juvenile showcase day, is carded as Race 10 at approximately 5:30 p.m. (all times Eastern). The undercard also includes the $80,000-added Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes for fillies, $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes, and $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes.

The quartet of stakes serve as local steppingstones to the pair of Grade II, $200,000, 1 1/16-mile races on the Saturday, Nov. 25 “Stars of Tomorrow II” program – the open Kentucky Jockey Club and Golden Rod for fillies that are part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks series which award points to the Top 4 finishers (10-4-2-1).

Bravazo, a 2-year-old colt by Awesome Again trained by Hall of Fame conditioner D. Wayne Lukas, broke his maiden by 4 ¾ lengths at Churchill Downs on Sept. 16. The homebred attempted graded-stakes company for the first time in the Oct. 7 Breeders’ Futurity and tired after making up ground from just off the pace to finish second, four lengths back of Free Drop Billy, one of the top contenders in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI).

The chief rival to Bravazo could be Lone Sailor, who finished 2 ½ lengths behind Bravazo in the Breeders’ Futurity. Trained by Tom Amoss, the 2-year-old colt by Majestic Warrior was an 11-length maiden victor at Saratoga on Sept. 3 over the listed “sloppy” racetrack.

The Street Sense is named after James Tafel’s homebred winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). The colt earned $4.3 million in 13 races that included six victories, four seconds and two thirds.

The Street Sense Field from the rail out (with jockey): Twin Farms (Ricardo Santana Jr.); Netas (Julien Leparoux); Rubus (Joe Rocco Jr.); Ebben (James Graham); Renaisance Frolic (Jose Batista); Bravazo (Jon Court); Gotta Go (Chris Landeros); Honorable Treasure (Robby Albarado); Lone Sailor (Florent Geroux); and Souper Smart (Corey Lanerie).

All horses will tote 118 pounds except Renaisance Frolic who will carry 122.

The 128th Fall Meet will feature 21 days of racing over a four-week stretch through Nov. 26. After Sunday’s opening day program, racing will be conducted on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule with dark days on Mondays and Tuesdays. Most programs will feature 10 races with admission gates opening at 11:30 a.m. and the first race at 1 p.m. Eleven-race programs are scheduled for opening day, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18, and there will be 12-race cards over the final four days of the meet (Nov. 23-26). There are special first race post times on three dates: Friday, Nov. 3 (2 p.m.); Saturday, Nov. 4 (2:15 p.m.) and the Thanksgiving Day card on Thursday, Nov. 23 (11:30 a.m.).

Overnight purses for the Fall Meet have skyrocketed 30 percent over the last five years. The average purse for an overnight race in 2012 – the year before the debut of Churchill Downs’ September Meet – was $32,672. The average purse per overnight race in this year’s condition book is $42,379. The prize money for maiden special weights is $60,000 compared to $50,000 five years ago. Allowance purses will range from $62,000 to $72,000 compared to $52,000 to $58,000 in 2012. All other overnight races have benefited from purse increases, as well.

To view more information about the Fall Meet visit: https://www.churchilldowns.com/racing-wagering/news/40-things-to-know-about-churchill-downs-fall-meet

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EZMOSH HEADLINES FIELD OF EIGHT IN $200,000 SPENDTHRIFT FARM JUVENILE STAKES

Zayat Stables’ Oklahoma-bred Ezmosh headlines a field of eight 2-year-olds that were entered for Sunday’s second running of the $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The seven-furlong contest, carded as Race 7 on Churchill Downs’ “Stars of Tomorrow I” card, has a scheduled post time of 4 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 11-race card also includes the $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes, $80,000 Street Sense Overnight Stakes and $80,000 Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes. The first race is 1 p.m.

The second running of the Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes was made possible through a partnership between Churchill Downs and Lexington, Ky.-based breeding operation Spendthrift Farm. The lucrative race is restricted to 2-year-old offspring sired by any active or non-active Spendthrift stallion, including all Spendthrift-owned stallions standing regionally in North America.

The purse has been structured with a unique approach to award $100,000 to the owners of the placed horses, with the other $100,000 allocated to award the breeders of the first-thru-fourth-place finishers. Specifically, the winning breeder will earn $40,000, with $30,000 going to the breeder of the runner-up, $20,000 for third, and $10,000 for fourth.

Ezmosh, a 2-year-old colt by Tizway, broke his maiden by two lengths in a one-turn mile maiden special weight on Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox. The colt then tested the 1 1/16-mile $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity (Grade I) at Keeneland on Oct. 7, but finished sixth and was beaten 11 lengths after he failed to relax in the first half-mile and tired late.

Jockey Florent Geroux is once again signed on to ride Ezmosh and will break from post position 5.

John Tippmann is among Ezmosh’s rivals. The 2-year-old colt by Tizway, named after one of his owners, broke his maiden at Ellis Park on Aug. 11 by 1 ¼ lengths under jockey Robby Albarado. Trainer Kenny McPeek opted to try the colt on the turf at Kentucky Downs in his subsequent start, the Sept. 6 $350,000 Juvenile Stakes, which resulted in a runner-up effort at odds of 15-1. Most recently, John Tippmann finished fifth in the Oct. 8 $250,000 Bourbon Stakes (GIII) at Keeneland – a race that was originally scheduled for the turf but was taken off following inclement weather.

Albarado has the return call on John Tippmann and will break from the rail.

The field for the Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes from the rail out (with jockey): John Tippmann (Albarado); Just Be Frank (Cisco Torres); El Rubio (Jack Gilligan); Dream Baby Dream (Shaun Bridgmohan); Ezmosh (Geroux); O’Malley’s March (Eddie Perez); Captivating Moon (Jose Valdivia Jr.); and Fight On (Ricardo Santana Jr.).

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ULTRA-COMPETATIVE FIELD OF 10 HEAD $80,000-ADDED RAGS TO RICHES OVERNIGHT STAKES

Will Kari’s homebred She’s Pretty Lucky and Monomoy Stables and Michael Dubb’s Monomoy Girl top competitive field of 10 2-year-old fillies in Sunday’s $80,000-added Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The one-mile Rags to Riches is carded as Race 8 with a scheduled first post of 4:30 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 11-race “Stars of Tomorrow” juvenile showcase also includes the $80,000-added Street Sense Overnight Stakes, $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes, and $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes. The first race is 1 p.m.

Gutsy maiden-winner She’s Pretty Lucky, a 2-year-old daughter by Lookin At Lucky, scored a 23-1 upset in her career debut over seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on Sept. 30 for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The Texas-bred filly will break from post position 2 with Joe Rocco Jr. getting the return call.

Monomoy Girl is undefeated in two starts over the turf for trainer Brad Cox. The 2-year-old filly by Tapizar rallied from off the pace in her Sept. 5 debut at Indiana Grand, then recorded a wire-to-wire victory at Churchill Downs on Sept. 28 in a first-level allowance race. A $100,000 purchase at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Monomoy Girl will switch surfaces to the dirt and break from post position 6 with jockey Florent Geroux aboard.

The Rags to Riches field from the rail out (with jockey and assigned weight): Missap (Dean Sarvis, 122 pounds); She’s Pretty Lucky (Rocco, 118); Over Thinking (Jon Court, 118); Saguaro Row (Corey Lanerie, 118); Dark Artist (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118); Monomoy Girl (Geroux, 120); Firstmate (Gabriel Saez, 122); Queen Mum (Julien Leparoux, 118); Grats Road (Robby Albarado, 118); and Foxtrot Sally (James Graham, 118).

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MARYLAND-BRED SOUTHAMPTON WAY LEADS FIELD OF NINE IN
$200,000 SPENDTHRIFT JUVENILE FILLY STALLION STAKES

Sagamore Farm’s Maryland-based homebred Southampton Way will invade Kentucky as the headliner in a field of nine 2-year-old fillies for Sunday’s inaugural running of the $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The seven-furlong contest, carded as Race 9 on Churchill Downs’ “Stars of Tomorrow I” card, has a scheduled post time of 5 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 11-race card also includes the $200,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes, $80,000 Street Sense Overnight Stakes and $80,000 Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes. The first race is 1 p.m.

The Spendthrift Juvenile Filly Stallion Stakes – made possible through a partnership between Churchill Downs and Lexington, Ky.-based breeding operation Spendthrift Farm – is a lucrative contest for 2-year-old female offspring sired by any active or non-active Spendthrift stallion, including all Spendthrift-owned stallions standing regionally in North America. The purse has been structured with a unique approach to award $100,000 to the owners of the placed horses, with the other $100,000 allocated to award the breeders of the first-thru-fourth-place finishers. Specifically, the winning breeder will earn $40,000, with $30,000 going to the breeder of the runner-up, $20,000 for third, and $10,000 for fourth.

Trained by Horacio DePaz, Southampton Way is the most experienced filly in the field with five starts including a one-length maiden victory at Saratoga on July 21, which was followed by a runner-up effort in the $200,000 Adirondack (Grade II). The daughter of Into Mischief is no stranger to shipping around the country as she tested the Arlington-Washington Futurity on Sept. 9 at Arlington Park that resulted in a second-place effort. Most recently, Southampton Way was unsuccessful in the $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes (GIII) at Belmont Park on Oct. 1 but has been training steadily at DePaz’ home base of Laurel Park.

Among Southampton Way’s chief rivals is Bill and Corrinne Heiligbrodt’s Mia Mischief, a flashy 16 ¼ length winner in her second career start at Keeneland for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Bred at Spendthrift Farm, Mia Mischief was purchased for $300,000 at the 2017 Fasig Tipton March Sale. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. is signed on to ride Mia Mischief and will break from post position 2.

The field from the rail out (with jockey): Southampton Way (Robby Albarado); Mia Mischief (Santana); Aerial Assets (Julien Leparoux); Cinema Doll (Brian Hernandez Jr.); Foxy Mischief (Jon Court); Breaking Beauty (Channing Hill); Wendy Peffercorn (Eddie Perez); Bibbidibobbidi Boo (Marcelino Pedroza); and Sultry (Corey Lanerie).

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 5, 2018. The track will conduct one more live racing meet in 2017: the Fall Meet from Oct. 29-Nov. 26. An eight-time host to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Churchill Downs will again be the site of that event on Nov. 2-3, 2018. Information is available at www.ChurchillDowns.com.