Kentucky Downs: Street Beast, Quiet Street win juvenile stakes

Street Beast was just that Sunday, becoming the second horse to win twice at Kentucky Downs’ seven-day meet with a seven-length victory over Awesome Connection in the $1 million Juvenile Mile.

Street Beast, who had been second at Ellis Park in his Aug. 1 debut, won Kentucky Downs’ opening-day $250,000 allowance race restricted to colts and geldings who had gone through the sales ring at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale. In the Juvenile Mile, Luan Machado settled Street Beast just off the pace set by eventual third-place finisher Baytown Dreamer, taking the lead at the top of the stretch and drawing off to cover the mile in a tentative time of 1:33.72. He paid $4.08 to win.

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The second victory at the meet matched the 4-year-old filly Stellify, who, after winning an allowance race opening day, won the $2 million Ladies Marathon on Saturday.

“Last time he showed he can sit right off of it,” Machado said of Street Beast. “But he’s very quick out of the gate, so that helps me to get in a comfortable spot. He traveled very comfortably the entire way. ... Last time he was a little aggressive. But this time he was way more professional. He didn’t fight me. He was always there for me. When they kind of came to me, he was all there for me.”

Awesome Connection, wité Jose Ortiz up for Chris Davis, closed to take second. Baytown Dreamer and jockey Ben Curtis grudgingly giving way to take third. Swamp King finished fourth followed by J J Grey, Thunder Zeus, Ciborio, Chalky White and Duke of Suggins completed the order of finish.

Street Beast gave Keeneland-based trainer Ben Colebrook his first win in a $1 million stakes. 

“He was a little aggressive early on in his training,” Colebrook said. “So we ran him short the first time just to get a race into him always thinking we were going to stretch him out down here. He showed so much speed, I thought let’s run him 6 1/2. We started thinking about maiden races. I had another filly that I entered four times and she still hasn’t gotten in. So I said let’s just run when we can. So we ran in the Keeneland race (for horses in the Keeneland September yearling sale), and that worked out. And this race was coming up pretty tempting, so we said let’s take a swing at it.”

And they hit a home run. 

Colebrook said he wasn’t influenced by Tiztastic, also a maiden going into Kentucky Downs last year, sweeping the Keeneland allowance and the Juvenile Mile.

“I didn’t really remember that until somebody else told me,” he said. “To be honest, what gave me confidence was the way he came out of the race. It didn’t take anything out of him. We know he likes the course, which is a big question a lot of times with horses. For a million bucks, there were 600,000 reasons (the winner’s purse) to try it.

“I think if a horse is doing well, the bounce is kind of overrated if you run back before two weeks. When a horse is doing well, I think you have a zone of time where they’re going to continue to do well. ... I’ve had good luck doing that, but very limited starts. But certainly down here it gives you reason to, because it’s such unusual circumstances.”

The first-place purse actually came to $591,400. It brought Street Beast’s earnings to $760,644 of which $741,400 came at Kentucky Downs. Colebrook said he’s noticed a change in the colt since his last race.

“In a weird way he’s been more aggressive in his gallops but more relaxed around the barn,” he said. “He was kind of the opposite before. He didn’t really take a hold of the bit in his gallops sometimes, and he’d be goofing off. But there was no goof-off. He’s figuring it out.”

Colebrook said the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31 could be on the agenda.

“I think the Breeders’ Cup, the way he ran today, you have to think about it,” he said. “I’ve been excited to run him a little bit longer, and he really got me excited watching him today, because he did it so easy. Luan, as soon as he asked him, he exploded.”

Street Beast was bought for $85,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales April auction by bloodstock agent Davant Latham, whose partnership races in the name of Midway Racing. 

“He acts a lot more professional than a 2-year-old, and he’s a May foal,” Latham said. “The way he finished, the way he drew away, who knows? We’re just so happy to be here today. Don’t ask me about tomorrow. Today is great.

“He did everything right. He ate up like crazy, didn’t leave an oat. He’s been bucking and kicking all week. How many chances do you get to run for a million? And we know he likes this course, so we were elated to have the opportunity to run again.”

Quiet Street makes late noise in Untapable

This year’s Kentucky Derby-winning connections of owner-breeder Godolphin, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Júnior Alvarado teamed to win the $1 million Untapable Stakes when Quiet Street surged through the stretch for a one-length victory over Snow Face Princess.

Alvarado, who rides Derby winner and leading 3-year-old male Sovereignty for Godolphin and Mott, noted he won his first Kentucky Downs race last year “and now the (first) stakes on a pretty nice filly.”

She looked the part Sunday.

“She’s a filly. She has to do it whenever she’s ready,” Alvarado said. “So I was just biding my time, just making sure that when she was ready for me that I would have horse under me. And that’s what we did today. I kind of showed her the way when we turned for home, and she was very powerful.”

After saving ground for the first half-mile, Alvarado eased Quiet Street out and came six wide through the stretch to wear down Snow Face Princess. Quiet Street finished 6 1/2 furlongs at a reported 1:14.80 from a troubled timer subject to revisions the whole meet. She paid $6.64 to win in the field of 11 2-year-old fillies. 

Snow Face Princess, winner of Saratoga’s Bolton Landing for trainer Todd Pletcher, made her first start since being bought through Fasig-Tipton’s August digital sale for $775,000 by Ron Winchell, co-managing partner of Kentucky Downs. Winchell turned her over to trainer Steve Asmussen.

With Irad Ortiz up, Snow Face Princess wore down Believe in Magic and then and early leader Carolyncaroline. Prowess finished fifth, followed by Z Z’s, Trading Trouble, Blazing Brat, Hot and Dangerous, Ritzaphena and Liz’s Image. Program favorite Lennilu was scratched in favor of running to a state-bred stakes win Saturday in Florida. Kingsolver was scratched after spiking a temperature Friday.

It’s no small feat for a horses to win their first two races, because after that initial win, they mostly face horses with more experience.

“She got plenty of experience in her last race,” said Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA. “She got pinched back at the start, got in a little bit of trouble and had to fight through a bit of traffic, came wide like she did here today. So at least she got a lot of experience out of that race. Showed a good turn of foot as well.

“Looked like a little bit of extra distance would help her. She broke well today but just didn’t have the early toe of some of the others. But she still had a nice position. When Júnior got her out, he said she was a bit green and looking around or whatever. But once he got her out, she leveled off. She finished up the hill nicely, so it was a very pleasing result. Very happy with the way she performed. Two-for-two, a filly doing that is impressive.”

So what now?

“That’s a good question,” Banahan said. “Look, if she wants to stretch out a little bit more, I suppose maybe look at the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies). Not too sure. (Keeneland’s) Jessamine (G2) might come a little quick (Oct. 3), and we got another filly for that. We’ll get her back home and regroup and see what we need to do with her. But she’s certainly done us proud at the moment anyway.”