Money Flows faces stakes-proven performers in one-mile feature

There are many seasoned stakes runners in the nominal feature Wednesday evening at Churchill Downs, a third-level optional $80,000 claiming event with a purse of $56,000. Several of the horses in the one-mile race have been competitive in graded stakes. One of the morning-line favorites has yet to compete at the stakes level but is rapidly ascending.

Money Flows is one of the older members of the field but is the least experienced. The 5-year-old Money Flows, trained by Al Stall Jr., has made just five starts, never finishing off the board while competing at four different tracks. After winning his debut at Evangeline Downs and an allowance race at Delta Downs, he contested a pair of second-level optional $40,000 claiming events at Fair Grounds, finishing second by a head in the first and winning the second. He returned from a layoff of more than three months at Keeneland and finished third, beaten a nose and a neck, in a third-level optional $80,000 claimer.

Julien Leparoux has the mount Wednesday as Money Flows, 5-2 on the morning line, faces several horses with stakes experience. The Truth Or Else, favored on the morning line at 2-1, placed in a pair of Grade 1 races two years ago. Irish You Well, Street Spice, and Bump Start also are graded stakes-placed.

Race 8

Key contenders

Money Flows, by Malibu Moon

Last 3 Beyers: 90-82-84

◗ Owns the field’s highest last-out Beyer Speed Figure and is the only member of the field to run a 90 this year.

The Truth Or Else, by Yes It’s True

Last 3 Beyers: 85-89-89

◗ Finished third in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes as a juvenile and second in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes last year.

◗ An allowance winner at Churchill in his season finale, he returns here off a productive winter campaign at Oaklawn, where he placed in three optional-claiming events. Two were won by stakes veteran Regally Ready.

◗ Gary Stevens has the mount for trainer Ken McPeek.

Street Spice, by Street Sense

Last 3 Beyers: 84-79-83

◗ Hasn’t won in more than a year but comes in off a third in the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in his first start for Carl Nafzger.

◗ One of two in the eight-horse field running for the $80,000 tag.

Nite of the Hunter, by Temple City

Last 3 Beyers: 86-90-84

◗ Won two optional-claiming events during the Fair Grounds meet.

◗ Comes in off a creditable fourth in the Keeneland allowance in which Limousine Liberal set a track record.

Paid Admission, by Candy Ride

Last 3 Beyers: 86-81-70

◗ Stakes-placed colt, also in for the tag, was twice an optional-claiming winner last year at Churchill.