Sunday’s 11-race opening day program at Churchill Downs features a pair of qualifiers on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks: the $200,000 Street Sense (G3) for two-year-olds and $200,000 Rags to Riches for two-year-old fillies. Both races will be contested at 1 1/16 miles and award points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward respective berths in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Oaks (G1) next spring.
Sandman, a nice maiden scorer at Saratoga two back and fifth most recently in the Iroquois (G3), and Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile winner Tiztastic are the top draws in a 10-horse Street Sense field.
Sandman, a $1.2 million son of Tapit, is eligible to show more after breaking slowly in the Iroquois, and Brian Hernandez Jr. will pick up the mount for Mark Casse. Tiztastic, fifth to probable Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) favorite Chancer McPatrick in his debut on Saratoga’s main track, will switch back to dirt after a pair of commendable turf wins at Kentucky Downs, and Cristian Torres takes the call aboard the Steve Asmussen-trained son of Tiz the Law.
Comes a Time, a nice debut winner at Aqueduct on Sept. 21, looks like a serious player for Brad Cox, and Luis Saez rides the Not This Time colt. Dapper Moon, a five-length maiden victor at Saratoga two back, was under consideration for the Juvenile following a fourth in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland but opted for the Street Sense. Ricardo Santana Jr. rides for Dallas Stewart.
Other runners include Sovereignty, who steps up to stakes competition for Bill Mott following a rallying second in an Aqueduct maiden special weight; Baby Boat, who will be tested for class following a pair of convincing wins as the favorite at Hawthorne; and last-out maiden winners Big Much and Bracket Buster.
Unbeaten from two starts, Good Cheer will be the one to beat among eight fillies in the Rags to Riches. Cox trains the promising Godolphin homebred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, and Good Cheer exits a pair of spectacular victories, winning first out at Horseshoe Indianapolis by 8 1/4 lengths and defeating entry-level allowance foes at Churchill by 17 lengths on Sept. 28. Saez guides the exciting bay.
Alyeska, Claire’s Charm, and My Lil Punky all appear to have something going for them following convincing maiden wins, and Sherbini has shown decent class finishing second in the Schuylerville (G3) and third in the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga. Mechaya will switch turf to dirt for Jimmy DiVito following a fourth in the Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland.
