Universe wins in debut on August 30 at Saratoga. (Coglianese / NYRA)
Road To Kentucky Derby: Sunday Grade 3, $200,000 Street Sense Stakes on Opening Day
Life Of Joy Headlines $200,000 Rags To Riches As Cox Spots Another Potential Oaks Star
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four G Racing, Gregg Day and Steven Crain’s Grade I placed colt Universe will continue his Road to the Kentucky Derby when he takes on six promising youngsters competing in Sunday’s thirteenthe execution of the $200,000 Street Sense Stakes (Grade III), the headliner on Sunday’s opening day card of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet.
The 1 1/16-mile Street Sense is part of a doubleheader on the Sunday card that features all the races for 2-year-olds for Stars of Tomorrow I. The field will be posted in Race 10 at 5:25 PM (all times Eastern).
Two races before that, seven 2-year-old fillies will take the spotlight for the $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed), a “Prep Season” event on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
First message is 1 p.m
Universe, under the tutelage of the 2024 Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Kenny McPeekmade his senior debut at Saratoga when he upset eight rivals at odds of 17-1. After that win, McPeek pointed the son of Global Campaign to the one-mile Champagne Stakes (GI), where he followed the early pace but was defeated by Napoleon Solo And Talk. Universe will be ridden by Jose Ortiz in Sunday’s race, breaking from post No. 3.
Along with Universe, McPeek also competed in Dream Big Racing’s first special weight winner Terribly Connected. The son of Connect is driven from post 4 by Manny Esquivel.
The Street Sense field also includes the third-place Iroquois Stakes (GIII). Vost; winner of the first payment Ganas; and local special weight winners I did it And Incredible.
The field for the Street Sense in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):
- Vost (Luis Saez, Will Walden)
- Ganaas (Edgar Morales, Andrew McKeever)
- Universe (Jose Ortiz, McPeek)
- Very Connected (Esquivel, McPeek)
- Bricklin (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset)
- I Did It (Irad Ortiz Jr., Mike Maker)
- Incredibolt (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott)
The Street Sense is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby “Prep Season,” where the top five finishers receive points based on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to qualify for the 152i.e edition of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on Saturday, May 2.
Last year’s Street Sense would produce the eventual winner of the Kentucky Derby 151 Sovereignty. Another recent winner of the race was Two Phils (2022), who finished second Magician in Kentucky Derby 149.
Inaugurated in 2005, Churchill Downs’ Stars of Tomorrow programs have helped launch the careers of some of horse racing’s biggest stars led by two Horse of the Year champions. Rifle runner (2017) and Rachel Alexandra (2009); four Kentucky Derby winners Super saver (2010), Mandaloun (2021), Mystical Daan (2024) and sovereignty (2025); and seven Longines Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra (2009), Believe you can do it (2012), Monomoy girl (2018), Secret oath (2022), Pretty naughty (2023), Thorpedo Anna (2024) and Good cheer (2025).
Life Of Joy Headlines $200,000 Rags To Riches As Cox Spots Another Potential Oaks Star
The $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed) has proven to be a productive launching pad for trainer Brad Cox, who won the race with Monomoy girl (2017) and Good cheer (2024) before each capturing the Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I). He will try to continue this trend on Sunday Life of joya standout debut winner of 14 ¾ lengths three weeks ago at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Owned by Will Straud, Life of joy received good support on her debut, beating seven rivals as favorites 3–2. The daughter of Gun Runner was purchased for $375,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Irad Ortiz Jr. runs from post no. 4.
The Rags to Riches field also contains: The grumpy rabbit And Go to Girlwho finished third and fourth respectively in the Alcibiades Stakes (GI) for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Grumpy Rabbit, owned by Edwin Anthony, was beaten 5 ½ lengths in the Alcibiades by Percy’s Barwho was disqualified to second place behind Tommy Jo. Jose Ortiz will ride from post 5, while stablemate Go to Girl, owned by WSD Stable, will break from post 7 under Manny Esquivel.
Another talented filly in the field is the Schuylerville Stakes (Listed) winner. King solver. Kingsolver is owned by Storyteller Racing, Schroek Racing, Open Gate Horse Ventures, Brian Cahoe, Scott Catlett, Dave Russel, Matthew Randsdell, Michael Motley and Joel Braun and will compete in the six-furlong Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday. Florent Geroux was named to ride in the Rags to Riches and drew post 1.
The line-up for the Rags to Riches from the rail (with jockey and trainer):
- Kingsolver (Geroux, Rodolphe Brisset)
- Tear my heart apart (Edgar Morales, Genaro Garcia)
- America is great (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse)
- Life of Joy (Irad Ortiz Jr., Cox)
- The Grumpy Rabbit (Jose Ortiz, McPeek
- Josie Joe (Luis Saez, Riley Mott)
- Go to Girl (Esquivel, McPeek)
The 13e The Rags to Riches renewal will take place as Race 8 at 4:25 PM (all times Eastern) on Sunday’s 11-race Stars of Tomorrow I schedule, featuring 2-year-olds in each race. The card also features the $200,000 Street Sense (GIII) as Race 10 at 5:25 p.m. First post is 1:00 PM
As part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks “Prep Season,” the top five finishers of the Rags to Riches will receive qualifying points based on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 for a spot in the starting gate for the 152i.e running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1.
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