Coach, King Fury notch stakes wins on Churchill's opening day

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs opened its 24-day fall meet Sunday with two 1 1/16-mile stakes, the Rags to Riches and Street Sense, that highlighted an 11-race Stars of Tomorrow card restricted to 2-year-olds.

Churchill reported 1,534 fans were on hand for the opener, which was conducted over a fast main track, a good turf, and under cloudy skies. It was the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began that the general public was permitted at a Kentucky track, aside from the summer meet at Ellis Park. Health and safety protocols will be in effect in allowing them to continue to attend throughout the meet.

Besides the twin stakes, the card also consisted of one allowance and eight maiden races. In prior years, both the Rags to Riches and Street Sense had been conducted as one-turn mile races.

Rags to Riches

Coach remained unbeaten in three starts when turning back a stretch bid from Lady Traveler in the $98,000 Rags to Riches for fillies.

Close to the pace while wide on both turns, Coach took over in the upper stretch and streaked to victory under Florent Geroux in her first attempt at two turns. The daughter of Commissioner had won her first two starts when sprinting at Indiana Grand.

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Coach, trained by Brad Cox for Kueber Racing, paid $6.80 as second choice in a field of nine after finishing in 1:45.14. Lady Traveler held second, two lengths behind the winner and another 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Oliviaofthedesert.

“We’re excited about her,” Cox said. “She passed this test the way you’d like to see a young horse do it. We’ve thought she would like more distance, and that’s what she showed us with this nice win.”

The Rags to Riches is designed as a prep for the Grade 2 Golden Rod on the second Stars of Tomorrow card here Nov. 28. Another Cox trainee, Monomoy Girl, began her career at Indiana Grand and won the Rags to Riches before eventually becoming a Kentucky Oaks winner and Eclipse champion as a 3-year-old of 2018.

Street Sense

King Fury wore down favored Super Stock in a sustained stretch battle, prevailing by a half-length in the $98,000 Street Sense and perhaps winning his way into the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland.

“I’m definitely thinking the Breeders’ Cup might be the way to go,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “I’ll probably pre-enter him, at least,” on Monday.

Always within striking distance under Brian Hernandez Jr., King Fury surged to even terms with the 9-10 choice, Super Stock, leaving the quarter-pole prior to proving narrowly best under steady urging.

King Fury returned $7.40 as second choice in a field of six colts and geldings after finishing in 1:44.30. He is named for the popular boxer, Tyson Fury.

Fern Circle Stable and Three Chimneys Farm are the owners of King Fury, who in two prior starts was the winner of a September maiden race at Churchill and was eighth 30 days later in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. He was sired by Curlin and produced by a Grade 1 winner, Taris, and, as a $950,000 yearling purchase from Fasig-Tipton Saratoga in August 2019, he is the most expensive horse McPeek has ever bought at auction, said the trainer.

The Street Sense is a prep for the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club on Nov. 28. McPeek said King Fury would run in that race if he doesn’t go in the BC Juvenile.

*** In the lone allowance of the day, Ultimate Badger ($11.60) fought back under Joe Talamo to wrest victory from favored Stayin’ Out Late when finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.20. The winner is a Commissioner colt who could run back in the KJC, trainer Dale Romans said.

*** McPeek and Hernandez teamed with one of the flashier maiden winners of the day, Camp Hope ($23.80), a Summer Front colt who easily won going 1 1/16 miles in his career debut.

*** Racing will be conducted here on a five-day basis (Wednesdays through Sundays) through Nov. 29, with the exception of the Nov. 6-7 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.