Bravazo, Lone Sailor using Street Sense as springboard to 2018

Bravazo and Lone Sailor were the second- and third-place finishers in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity earlier this month at Keeneland. In another year, their performances might have been enough to merit a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Instead, the connections for both colts opted for a less-demanding spot as they look to best prepare a foundation for 2018.

Bravazo, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, and Lone Sailor, trained by Tom Amoss, are among 10 2-year-olds who will clash Sunday at Churchill Downs in the $80,000 Street Sense, the last of four straight 2-year-old stakes that help to open the 21-day fall meet at the Louisville, Ky., track. Sunday’s Stars of Tomorrow card is composed entirely of 2-year-old races.

Amoss, expressing a sentiment he shares with most other trainers with starters on Sunday’s opener, said he hopes Lone Sailor might one day match up favorably with the elite of his class, but that he expects it to take time.

“We know he is a physically talented horse, that he is still maturing mentally,” Amoss said. “He makes some mistakes in his races, such as not breaking very well in the Breeders’ Futurity. We are looking for him to be more professional Sunday.”

Bravazo was 47-1 and Lone Sailor was 17-1 when they gave closest chase to Free Drop Billy, one of the top contenders in the BC Juvenile next Saturday at Del Mar. They’ll surely be at lower odds in the one-mile Street Sense, which goes as the 10th of 11 Sunday races. Other considerations include Honorable Treasure, exiting the Grade 1 Champagne for Kenny McPeek, and a host of last-out maiden winners, including Rubus, Souper Smart, Gotta Go, and Twin Farms.

One hour earlier, the filly counterpart to the Street Sense will be run as race 8. It’s the $80,000 Rags to Riches, a one-mile race that drew a field of 10. There is not as much open-stakes form spread among the top contenders compared to the Street Sense, but the presence of sharp maiden winners Queen Mum, She’s Pretty Lucky, Saguaro Row, and Foxtrot Sally helps make for a salty field.

Queen Mum “has worked forwardly” since winning her Sept. 21 debut at Churchill, said Norman Casse, son of and assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “We thought her maiden score was impressive. We’re excited to see her run back Sunday.”

She’s Pretty Lucky was 23-1 when she outgamed odds-on favorite Mia d’Oro in debuting at Churchill for Eddie Kenneally on Sept. 30, the same day Saguaro Row won at first asking for Mike Stidham. Foxtrot Sally, trained by Rusty Arnold, was a Sept. 28 winner at Churchill in her second start.

Missap and Monomoy Girl are the only two-time winners in the Rags to Riches lineup, but the former is an Ohio-bred entered off a restricted stakes victory and the latter must make a transition to dirt after going 2 for 2 on turf.

The Street Sense and Rags to Riches, which honor the winners of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks of 2007, are situated as logical stepping-stones to the Kentucky Jockey Club and Golden Rod, respectively, on Nov. 25.