Listed, $150,000 Smarty Jones, one mile, Oaklawn Park, Jan. 24, 2020 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: Gold Street, by Street Boss Trainer: Steve Asmussen Jockey: Martin Garcia Owner: Mike McCarty Beyer Speed Figure: 95 After five sprints to begin his career, GOLD STREET successfully stretched out around two turns and got a significantly improved Beyer figure with this front-running score in the first of the series of Derby preps run at Oaklawn. His previous best figure was an 81, so it will be interesting to see if he can maintain this new level or if this was a function of a track surface that flattered his style. Daily Racing Form long ago got rid of mud marks, but handicappers of a certain age will agree that if any horse deserved an X inside a circle – the highest form of mud flattery – it would be assigned to Gold Street. He is on a three-race win streak, all earned on off tracks. It was listed as muddy (sealed) for the Smarty Jones. In this race, Gold Street broke well and used his speed to take the lead without having to be asked; he’s just naturally fast. He was hounded by LYNN’S MAP down the backstretch and into the far turn, got the best of that rival on the turn, kicked away from SHOPLIFTED and THREE TECHNIQUE heading into the short stretch run and won by a comfortable margin. I’m not sure how much farther he wants to run, or if he’ll be as effective on a fast track and/or without a short-porch stretch run. But up to a mile, and especially on an off track, he’s dangerous. Three Technique, who finished second, broke half a step slow and then wound up midpack, three paths wide, around the first turn. He raced alongside Shoplifted down the backstretch, advanced in the three path while ridden along on the far turn and got within about a length of the winner near the top of the lane, kept to his task through the stretch and while no threat to the winner was clearly second over Shoplifted. This was his first race around two turns. He acts like big, long-striding sort, so I’m optimistic that more distance and more pace into which to run will benefit him. Shoplifted, who was third, was deftly guided to the rail around the first turn and settled into perfect spot behind the two pacesetters. He followed Gold Street down the backstretch and around the far turn, couldn’t keep up with Gold Street coming off the bend, was even with Three Technique with a furlong to go but was outrun the rest of the way. A mile might be the outer limit of his comfort level. SILVER PROSPECTOR, who was fourth, bumped with SHARED SENSE leaving the gate, then saved ground around the first turn while toward the rear of the pack. He went around a tiring LYKAN heading toward the far turn, largely saved ground on the turn, checked ever so slightly in minor traffic while continuing to hug the rail, was switched out to the middle of the track and finished evenly while no threat to the top three. Lynn’s Map, who finished fifth, was three wide entering the first turn and advanced to be lapped on Gold Street a quarter-mile into the race. He raced alongside Gold Street down the backstretch and into the far turn, had to be asked to try and keep up beginning three furlongs out, dropped back between Shoplifted and Three Technique coming off the bend, then weakened while repeatedly swapping leads as though the footing was not to his liking. However, he won an allowance race at Fair Grounds on an off track, so ascribing this performance merely to the footing is hard for me to embrace. He needs to be better. Shared Sense, who was sixth, was bumped leaving the gate, then 100 yards into the race took up and dropped back to last. He advanced to seventh down the backstretch while being asked while racing in the middle of the track, swung to the four path coming off the final bend but was never in the hunt at any point. Lykan, who was seventh, was a bit unsettled in the gate before the start but broke sharply and was forwardly placed into the first turn before he seemed intimidated by Gold Street and tossed his head about while rank. He hugged the rail around the first turn while midpack while still appearing uncomfortable inside horses, retreated to last down the backstretch, was well back entering the lane and passed a couple of tired rivals. JUNGLE RUNNER, who was eighth, bobbled slightly leaving the gate, checked while midpack entering the first turn, raced between rivals early on the backstretch, was inside while following Shoplifted into the far turn, but could not keep pace on the turn despite an aggressive ride, drifted out slightly entering the lane and continued to fade. NUCKY, who finished last of nine, veered in slightly at the start, got shuffled back in the early going and wound up near the rear of the pack while initially outside Silver Prospector around the first turn before advancing to be three wide and just outside Jungle Runner. He got as close as fifth entering the far turn, but was shoved along at that point in a futile effort to close more ground. He was done by midway on the turn, and steadily dropped back thereafter. He is definitely in the conversation for luckiest Grade 1 winner (Del Mar Futurity) ever.