Far Right Bids to Bounce Back for Moquett in Street Sense on Sunday's 'Stars of Tomorrow I'
Oct 24, 2014
Coming off a fourth-place effort in the Futurity (Grade II) at Belmont Park, Harry T. Rosenblum’s Far Right looks to return to his winning ways in the $58,000-added Street Sense at Churchill Downs for trainer Ron Moquett.
The one-mile Street Sense is one of two stakes races on Sunday’s 10-race “Stars of Tomorrow I” program that showcases nothing but 2-year-olds to open the track’s 26-day Fall Meet.
Far Right broke in fifth and last position in the Futurity and could not make up enough ground late to catch the leaders.
“He was off the pace where they were going in fractions of :23, :46 and 1:09; you can’t give those types of horses 23-second quarters and think that you can catch them at the end,” Moquett said. “He made a mental move to try and make up some of it and he was able to make up about five lengths toward the end but it just wasn’t enough to punch on through after giving those guys that kind of easy first half.”
Moquett thought that Far Right stood a better chance against a five-horse field in the Oct. 5 Futurity versus staying in his home state and running in the Oct. 4 Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland, a race that attracted a full field of 12.
“I just thought he might have had a better shot in a five-horse field as opposed to a full field in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland,” Moquett said. “We were just trying to hit them when they weren’t looking.”
Moquett expects the Notional colt to improve going the one-mile distance versus only six furlongs in the Futurity.
“I would hope that he should improve going an extra couple furlongs, especially over a track that he’s already won on and ran well over,” Moquett said.
Prior to the Futurity, Far Right scored his first win in his third start with a five-length romp in 1:17.18 over 6 ½ furlongs.
Far Right will break from post position two Sunday’s Street Sense, which goes as Race 4 at approximately 2:06 p.m. ET. The first race is 12:40 p.m. ET.
CARVE LOGS FINAL BREEZE FOR BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE
Michael Langford’s Carve completed his final work ahead of next week’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) at Santa Anita with a half-mile breeze in :49 Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
“His work this morning was great,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He went a half-mile in :49 and galloped out really well.”
Carve is scheduled to fly to Southern California on Saturday morning, and 34-year-old Cox said he’s eager to start his first horse in the Breeders’ Cup.
“It’s exciting,” said Cox, who has won with 23.7% of his career starters since 2004. “The horse is doing as well as he can do and we expect him to run well. Obviously we’re running to win, but I will be happy as long as he shows up. I honestly think he has what it takes to compete with these horses.
“I think we ran him back a little too quickly from the (Sept. 6) Ack Ack to the (Sept. 27) Homecoming Classic, so hopefully giving him an extra week or so should ensure that he’ll be at his best.”
Carve finished second in the $107,300 Ack Ack Handicap (GIII) at Churchill Down but was fifth in the $135,500 Homecoming Classic three weeks later. Prior to the Ack Ack, Carve won three straight races including the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (GIII) and $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes. The other victory was an allowance on June 14 at Churchill in which Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith was at the reigns. Smith will ride Carve for the second time in the Dirt Mile.
“It’s a huge advantage to have Mike Smith as our rider,” Cox said. “He rode him to a victory here at Churchill in June and just the fact that he knows Santa Anita so well makes me feel a little better since our horse has never seen that track before.”
Smith’s leads all jockeys in career Breeders’ Cup wins with 20.
UNBRIDLED FOREVER, TOP DECILE POST FINAL PRE-BREEDERS’ CUP WORKS FOR STEWART, STALL
Friday morning at Churchill Downs marked the final preparations for Charles Fipke’s Unbridled Forever, who is pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Grade I) for trainer Dallas Stewart, and Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Top Decile, pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) for trainer Al Stall Jr.
Coming off a runner-up effort in the $204,400 Indiana Oaks (GII), Unbridled Forever covered five furlongs in 1:02.20.
“She had a great work,” Stewart said. “She was cruising at a high speed and galloped out nicely. One of her great qualities is that she doesn’t own her track. Whether it’s Churchill, Fair Grounds, Saratoga or Belmont she’s run well. So I expect her to run really well at Santa Anita.”
Stewart acknowledged that while facing older fillies and mares for the first time would be no easy feat, he has confidence in Unbridled Forever’s abilities to compete.
“She ran well in Indiana, too,” Stewart said. “We ended up second best (to Tiz Windy) that day but she seems like she’s improved every day since. She’s more up on it every day on her gallops and hasn’t backed out of the feed tub a bit. We’re in good shape.”
Stewart said Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez would get the Distaff mount on Unbridled Forever. Velazquez’s 12 Breeders’ Cup victories are the third most of any rider and second among active jockeys.
“She’s got a great rider in Johnny Velazquez so we’ll leave the trip up to him,” Stewart said. “But I’d guess she’d be somewhere in the middle; you can’t get too far back at Santa Anita.”
Top Decile, who was second to Peace and War in the $400,000 Alcibiades (GI) at Keeneland on Oct. 3, breezed a half-mile in :49.80 Friday.
“She went in :49 and change, galloped out (five furlongs) nicely in 1:03 and just did it the right way,” Stall said.
Stall seemed pleased with Top Decile’s last effort despite having a little trouble getting out of the gate.
“She came up big to get second in that last race, especially since she didn’t really break at all,” Stall said. “Seeing that she’ll likely face another full field in the Breeders’ Cup we can’t let that happen. I believe she’ll break better. Ideally we’d like her to lay off the speed a little bit. There’s a lot of speed in that race so hopefully she sits tight behind the leaders and can close late. We’ll see what happens but we’re excited.”
Stall said Rosie Napravnik would ride Top Decile in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Napravnik’s lone Breeders’ Cup victory came in the 2012 Juvenile aboard Shanghai Bobby.
OPENING DAY AT CHURCHILL DOWNS
Sunday, Oct. 26 – Opening Day / Stars of Tomorrow I
- 10 races from 12:40-5:16 p.m. (Gates: 11:30 a.m.)
- Co-Feature (Race 4 at 2:06 p.m.): $58,000-added Street Sense, 2yo, 1 M
- Co-Feature (Race 9 at 4:44 p.m.): $58,000-added Rags to Riches, 2yo, f, 1 M
- Trick or Treat Parade: Children are encouraged to dress in Halloween costumes and join Churchill Charlie in a trick-or-treat journey around the track to collect candy. Registration will begin at 1 p.m. and the parade will start at 2:30 p.m.
- Box Office hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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