Hunch Bet Howling Time Wins $200,000 Street Sense on Halloween

Oct 31, 2021

Howling Time, the cleverly-named 2-year-old out of the mare Werewolf, was a popular hunch bet on Halloween at Churchill Downs as the 9-5 favorite rolled home to a 3 ¼-length win over Red Danger in Sunday’s ninth running of the $200,000 Street Sense – the featuring event on opening day of the 132^nd Fall Meet and 17^th annual Stars of Tomorrow I program for juveniles.

Joe Talamo rode the winner for trainer Dale Romans and owner Dennis Albaugh’s Albaugh Family Stables LLC as the Kentucky-bred son of Not This Time clocked 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.68.

“It’s pretty fitting a horse with a Halloween theme wins today,” Romans said via phone from Southern California. “I’m just glad it was ours. He won impressively in his debut last month. He’s shown us in his training and his pedigree that he should like stretching out in distance. So, winning at six furlongs on debut was very impressive. Then, to come back and do that today showed how talented he is.”

Breaking from post No. 5 in the field of seven 2-year-olds, Howling Time was rated in fourth down the backstretch in the clear just behind pacesetter Sport Pepper, who clocked early quarter-mile fractions of :24.65, :49.31 and 1:14.32. Red Danger raced in second and Skippylongstocking was third down on the inside.

Leaving the final turn, Howling Time ranged into contention from the outside and drew even with Red Danger, who took over from the fading Sport Pepper. The two battled gamely together down the stretch but Howling Time relished the extra distance and drew clear for the victory inside the final furlong.

“Turning for home I could feel I had a lot of horse underneath me,” Talamo said. “Around the turn, I smooched at him and he just took off. It’s always special to win for these connections. This horse was very impressive today and really ran well around two turns for the first time.”

Howling Time, who earned $121,140 for the win and improved his record to 2-2-0-0—$190,600, paid $5.80, $4 and $2.80. Red Danger, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $5.40 and $3.40. Red Knobs, another Romans trainee with James Graham up, was another four lengths back in third and paid $2.80.

Skippylongstocking, Guntown, Sport Pepper and Luni Sima completed the order of finish. Kiss the Sky and Lucky Boss were scratched.

Howling Time is perfect in two starts. He won by 1 ½ lengths in his six-furlong debut on Sept. 25 at Churchill Downs.

A start in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) over the same 1 1/16-mile distance at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27 miles could be next. The Kentucky Jockey Club is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” point series that will determine the field of 20 horses that will compete in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 7.

Purchased for $200,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Howling Time was bred by Springhouse Farm.

“This horse was a later purchase at Keeneland last year,” said Jason Loutsch, racing manager for his father-in-law, Albaugh. We have to give the credit to Dale because he was in the back ring at the time and called us to say we had to have this colt. We knew what he did on his debut was impressive because Dale doesn’t necessarily have them cranked all the way to win first out. Then, he worked well out of it and was really impressive today going two turns for the first time.”

The Street Sense is named in honor of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense who became the first horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) as a 2-year-old and the Run for the Roses at age 3. He also was the first Champion Two-Year-Old Colt to win the Kentucky Derby since Spectacular Bid who won the Kentucky Derby in 1979. Trainer Carl Nafzger was on hand to present the winning trophy Sunday.

Each of Sunday’s races was for 2-year-olds. Inaugurated in 2005, Churchill Downs’ “Stars of Tomorrow” programs have helped launched the careers of numerous graded stakes winners, including more than 50 future Grade I winners led by Horse of the Year champions Gun Runner (2017) and Rachel Alexandra (2009), Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (2010), Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra (2009), Believe You Can (2012) and Monomoy Girl (2018), Preakness winners Shackleford (2011), War of Will (2019) and Swiss Skydiver (2020), Belmont winner Creator (2016) as well as 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2013 Stephen Foster hero Fort Larned and 2013 champion 3-year-old Will Take Charge.

STREET SENSE STAKES QUOTES

Joe Talamo, jockey of HOWLING TIME (winner): “Turning for home I could feel I had a lot of horse underneath me. Around the turn, I smooched at him and he just took off. It’s always special to win for these connections. This horse was very impressive today and really ran well around two turns for the first time.”

Dale Romans, trainer of HOWLING TIME (winner): “It’s pretty fitting a horse with a Halloween theme wins today. I’m just glad it was ours. He won impressively in his debut last month. He’s shown us in his training and his pedigree that he should like stretching out in distance. So, winning at six furlongs on debut was very impressive. Then, to come back and do that today showed how talented he is.”

Jason Loutsch, racing manager for Albaugh Family Stable’s HOWLING TIME (winner): “This horse was a later purchase at Keeneland last year. We have to give the credit to Dale because he was in the back ring at the time and called us to say we had to have this colt. We knew what he did on his debut was impressive because Dale doesn’t necessarily have them cranked all the way to win first out. Then, he worked well out of it and was really impressive today going two turns for the first time.”

Brian Lynch, trainer of RED DANGER (runner-up): “I thought he ran a good race – just second best.”