South Bend, Wheat King rematch in Churchill's Street Sense
Sagamore Farm’s two-time winner South Bend tops a field of 11 2-year-olds that were entered in Sunday’s $120,000-added Street Sense Stakes, the featured event on the 11-race Stars of Tomorrow I program that opens the 26-day Fall Meet at Churchill Downs.
The Street Sense, carded as Race 10 Sunday, is part of a stakes doubleheader beneath the Twin Spires. Its counterpart for fillies, the $120,000-added Rags to Riches, is slated for Race 9. First post on Sunday is 1 p.m. ET.
Trained by Stan Hough, South Bend (2-2-0-0—$98,212) won the first two starts of his career, including a maiden-breaking performance on Sept. 14 at Churchill Downs. The son of Algorithms could be hoping for a fast pace after closing from far behind in both of his starts.
South Bend was well-backed by bettors in his second start at Keeneland – a first-level allowance contest – and got his nose down in front of rival Wheat King just before the wire.
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Julien Leparoux will pilot South Bend from post 4, one spot inside of Chiefswood Stables’ Wheat King, who will get a rider change from Declan Carroll to Miguel Mena.
Also entered in the Street Sense is Walking L Thoroughbreds’ $150,000 With Anticipation (G3) winnerFighting Seabee. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Fighting Seabee (3-2-0-0—$120,000) will switch to the dirt for the first time in his career. The son of Summer Front most recently finished fifth in the Bourbon Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the return call from post 7.
The Street Sense field (with jockey, trainer and weight):
1. Sprawl (Corey Lanerie, Bill Mott, 118 pounds)
2. Tap It To Win (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse, 118)
3. Wheat King (Mena, Casse, 118)
4. South Bend (Leparoux, Hough, 120)
5. Mr. Tip (Sophie Doyle, Jack Sisterson, 118)
6. Silver Prospector (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 118)
7. Fighting Seabee (Hernandez, McPeek, 122) 8. American Butterfly (Luis Saez, D. Wayne Lukas, 118) 9. Axiomo (Gabriel Saez, Mikhail Yanakov, 120)
10. Shotski (Sheldon Russell, Jerry O’Dwyer, 118)
11. Carpe Victoriam (James Graham, TomAmoss, 120).
Sunday’s National Weather Service forecast for Louisville calls for partly sunny skies and a high near 65.
Record purses of more than $20.1 million will be offered during the 2019 Fall Meet. The Street Sense received its third purse increase in the last seven years. The one-turn race, which honor’s James Tafel’s 2007 Kentucky Derby winner, was boosted $20,000 from 2018.
The 11-race card on Sunday will feature all 2-year-old horses. Inaugurated in 2005, the Stars of Tomorrow programs at Churchill Downs have helped launch the careers of more than 50 future Grade 1 winners including Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra, Believe You Can and Monomoy Girl.