Street Beast roars in Juvenile Mile

FRANKLIN, Ky. - The trainer Ben Colebrook thought his 2-year-old colt Street Beast would be ready for the Juvenile Mile after winning a rich restricted race here at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 28. Check. Colebrook thought Street Beast would handle a stretchout from 6 1/2 furlongs two Thursdays ago to one mile on Sunday. Check. And when Street Beast relaxed sweetly from a perfect stalking position under Luann Machado, it was checkmate in the $1 million Juvenile Mile.

Street Beast in upper stretch swarmed pacesetting Baytown Dreamer and pulled steadily clear to a seven-length victory. Granted, the competition for a race with this purse was soft, but Street Beast made a strongly favorable visual impression. And a million bucks is a million bucks.

“I’ve won half-million-dollar races. Not a million,” Colebrook said.

Up by 2 1/2 lengths at the stretch call, Street Beast finished – like a beast. Purchased for $85,000 at a 2-year-old auction earlier this year, Street Beast earned a monstrous sum, more than $700,000, over the course of 10 days for Davant Latham’s Midway Racing.

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Awesome Connection, making his first start after being privately purchased by Dare to Dream Stable out of a Woodbine maiden win, finished second, not in the same zip code as the winner and only three-quarters of a length ahead of Baytown Dreamer, who held for third when nobody in the race ran home with great interest.

Street Beast was timed in 1:33.72 over a firm course and paid $4.08, which seemed like value after the race was run.

Street Beast broke sharply, but came quickly back to Machado, who bided his time while Baytown Dreamer churned along far in front.

“Last time he was a little aggressive,” Machado said. “When I asked him to settle a little bit, he was way more professional.”

Colebrook said Street Beast has changed since he got into full training this summer, becoming more aggressive in his gallops and less so breezing and in everything else he does.

“He’s figuring it out,” Colebrook said.

Street Beast is by Street Sense out of Flower Party, by Duke of Marmalade, and was bred in Kentucky by Sunnybrook Stables. Colebrook all but ruled out bringing Street Beast back in the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland next month after his bang-bang Kentucky Downs run, but the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, though, will come into consideration.

“You’d have to think about it the way he ran today,” Colebrook said.

Yep – Street Beast checked every box Sunday at Kentucky Downs.

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