Churchill Downs Stakes Recaps and Quotes: Street Sense and Rags to Riches

Oct 27, 2024

Godolphin’s homebred colt Sovereignty, winless in two New York starts around one turn, invaded Kentucky and relished the added distance to dominate Sunday’s 12th running of the $200,000 Street Sense (Grade III) – the featured event on opening day of Churchill Downs’ 135th Fall Meet and 20th annual Stars of Tomorrow I program for juveniles.

 

Sovereignty clocked 1 1/16 miles over a “fast track” in 1:43.86, which dismantled King Fury’s 2020 stakes record of 1:44.30, and defeated Tiztastic by five widening lengths. Junior Alvarado rode the Kentucky-bred son of Into Mischief for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

 

Sovereignty completed a stakes sweep for owner/breeder Godolphin LLC led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. In the previous race, Good Cheer easily won the $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed).

 

Breaking from post No. 9 on the far outside, Sovereignty was last in the early stages as Forged Steel led the way with fractions of :23.57, :48 and 1:12.52. Sovereignty remained in last midway around the final turn but was tipped out with 2 ½ furlongs to go and was asked for his best run. Widest of all at the top of the stretch, Sovereignty circled the field and shot past the tiring Forged Steel and Dapper Moon at the eighth pole and drew away for the comfortable win.

 

“This is rare to see a horse break their maiden in a two-turn stakes race like today,” Alvarado said. “We knew that this horse had a lot of talent. He broke great today. When I turned for home I just showed him the road and he took off. Things are coming together with his development I think as the distances get longer they will not be a problem for him.”

 

Sovereignty paid $4.86, $3.06 and $2.46 as the 7-5 favorite. Tiztastic, under Cristian Torres, returned $5.86 and $3.74. Sandman, with Brian Hernandez Jr. up, was another neck back in third and paid $3.76.

 

Dapper Moon was fourth and was followed by Bracket Buster, Forged Steel, Reach for the Rose, Comes a Time and Baby Boat. Big Much was scratched.

 

Sovereignty earned $119,280 for his first career win and improved his record to 3-1-1-0—$143,280. He also earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that will determine the preference list for the 20-horse 151st Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on May 3. Points were awarded on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

 

“It’s a true honor and testament to (Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) to let us develop these horses as 2-year-olds and get them ready to go in even bigger races as 3-year-olds,” said Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock for Godolphin. “He trained very impressively in New York and it’s not the easiest thing to bring a horse into a stakes race to break their maiden. But we had the confidence from how he ran in the two maiden races that he’d run a top effort here. It’s very special for us all to win a race like this and hopefully get him some experience for some even bigger races as a 3-year-old next year here at Churchill Downs.”

 

Prior to the Street Sense, Sovereignty finished fourth in his Aug. 24 debut over six furlongs at Saratoga behind Tip Top Thomas, Rookie Card and Keywaydin. In his next start over a mile at Aqueduct on Sept. 27, he was a neck back of front-running winner Praetor.

 

The bay colt is out of the Bernardini mare Crowned.

 

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.

 

GOOD CHEER MUCH THE BEST IN $200,000 RAGS TO RICHES

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024) – Godolphin’s homebred filly Good Cheer overcame being shuffled back to last in the first few jumps of the race and rallied with a sweeping wide move on the final turn to easily breeze past leader Claire’s Charm and win Sunday’s 12th running of the $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed) at Churchill Downs by 4 ¾ lengths to remain unbeaten in three starts.

 

Ridden by Luis Saez and trained by Brad Cox, Good Cheer ran 1 1/16 miles on “fast” dirt in 1:44. For Cox, it was his record-extending fourth win in the race after previous triumphs with Monomoy Girl (2017), Coach (2020) and West Sunset (2023).

 

Previously, Good Cheer broke her maiden at Indiana Grand in August by 8 ¼ lengths and followed that effort with a 17-length allowance score in “sloppy” going at Churchill Downs in late September.

 

Breaking from post No. 4 in the compact field of five 2-year-old fillies, Good Cheer hesitated when the gates opened and was relegated to last going into the first turn as Claire’s Charm led through fractions of :23.88 and :48.06. Good Cheer began to improve position down the backstretch and into the far turn and circled three-wide when they hit the six-furlong marker in 1:12.63. She was full of run throughout and easily dominated her rivals down the stretch.

 

“She was really impressive again today,” Saez said. “I took her back off horses down the backside and saved ground. She relaxed and handled that very well. Around the turn when I asked her for her best run she was loaded. She’s a very impressive prospect with not a lot of seasoning behind her.”

 

Good Cheer, at odds of 3-5, paid $3.48, $2.28 and $2.10. Claire’s Charm, with Tyler Gaffalione aboard, returned $2.52 and $2.10. Sherbini, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., was another 4 ½ lengths back in third and paid $2.10.

 

Adeera was fourth and Mechaya was last. My Lil Punky, Alyeska and Lady Orient were scratched.

 

Sunday’s payday was worth $123,000 and Good Cheer improved her record to 3-3-0-0—$215,160. She also collected 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The top five finishers earned points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1.

 

“She’s shown a lot of talent in just three starts,” Cox said. “Today was obviously a new test trying stakes company for the first time. She handled being behind horses very well.”

 

By Medaglia d’Oro, Good Cheer is a Kentucky-bred bay filly out of the Street Sense mare Wedding Toast.

 

Sunday’s race is named in honor of Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s 2007 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner. Six years ago, Michael Dubb and Monomoy Stables’ Monomoy Girl cruised to a 6 ½-length score in the Rags to Riches prior to her triumph in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks.

 

STREET SENSE STAKES QUOTES

 

Junior Alvarado (jockey, Sovereignty, winner): “This is rare to see a horse break their maiden in a two-turn stakes race like today. We knew that this horse had a lot of talent. He broke great today. When I turned for home I just showed him the road and he took off. Things are coming together with his development I think as the distances get longer they will not be a problem for him.”

 

Kenny McCarthy  (trainer, Sovereignty, winner): “All the credit for this horse goes to Godolphin. He is part of their impressive homebred program. Our team in New York sent him down to us this week and he impressed us all today with the way he ran in this race. We’re looking forward to seeing him continue to develop in the future.”

 

Michael Banahan (Director of Bloodstock for Godolphin, Sovereignty, winner): “It’s a true honor and testament to (Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) to let us develop these horses as 2-year-olds and get them ready to go in even bigger races as 3-year-olds. He trained very impressively in New York and it’s not the easiest thing to bring a horse into a stakes race to break their maiden. But we had the confidence from how he ran in the two maiden races that he’d run a top effort here. It’s very special for us all to win a race like this and hopefully get him some experience for some even bigger races as a 3-year-old next year here at Churchill Downs.”

 

RAGS TO RICHES QUOTES

 

Luis Saez (jockey, Good Cheer, winner): “She was really impressive again today. I took her back off horses down the backside and saved ground. She relaxed and handled that very well. Around the turn when I asked her for her best run she was loaded. She’s a very impressive prospect with not a lot of seasoning behind her.”

 

Brad Cox (trainer, Good Cheer, winner): “She’s shown a lot of talent in just three starts. Today was obviously a new test trying stakes company for the first time. She handled being behind horses very well.”

 

Tyler Gaffalione (jockey, Claire’s Charm, second): “We sat a perfect trip. She just ended up being second best today.”