Street Sense becomes Plan B for Tom’s Ready

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – At one time, the Iroquois and Pocahontas stakes opened the Churchill Downs fall meet as highlights of a Stars of Tomorrow program. But when those graded races were moved to help fill out the new stakes schedule in September, a pair of overnight stakes took their place.

Not much has been lost in transition. Even with slightly lower purses of $80,000, there are plenty of promising juveniles entered in the Street Sense and Rags to Riches, the twin one-mile stakes that anchor a 10-race Sunday opener as the eighth and ninth races.

At least 10 colts from an original cast of 11 are expected in the Street Sense, including two who were cross-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Saturday at Keeneland, while a full gate of 14 fillies is set for the Rags to Riches, one of the best betting races on a terrific card that also includes two allowances and six maiden special weight events.

The Street Sense lost Siding Spring to the Juvenile when a slot opened up Thursday with the defection of Tale of S’avall, but Tom’s Ready failed to make it off the also-eligible list and will have to settle for running in the Street Sense.

“That’s how it goes sometimes,” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “The colt’s doing really well. We were fully prepared to run in the Juvenile, so yes, we’re sitting on go for this.”

Stewart was encouraged to try the Juvenile after a dominating maiden victory by Tom’s Ready on the final weekend of the September meet. Class-wise, Tom’s Ready basically fits this spot, as only three of his opponents have won outside the maiden ranks: Discreetness (allowance), Shogood (Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity), and Uncle Brennie (Sunday Silence Stakes).

Shogood, based in recent weeks at Fairmount Park with Scott Becker, will be making his first start on dirt after beginning his career with three races at Arlington Park.

The Rags to Riches, meanwhile, attracted several allowance winners but none with a stakes victory – although one filly, Stageplay, strongly hinted at major potential when unveiled in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race at Keeneland by trainer Steve Asmussen. Hammered down to 8-5 favoritism, Stageplay drew off convincingly to win by three lengths, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure that clearly ranks as tops in the Rags to Riches field. Moreover, the runner-up in that Oct. 10 race, Carina Mia, returned to win Thursday at Keeneland by nearly 10 lengths, earning a 97 Beyer.

Stageplay comes favorably drawn in post 13 for the one-turn mile and has been pegged as a lukewarm program favorite by Churchill oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.

Among the opposition are Dream Dance, second in the Pocahontas and fifth in the Grade 1 Alcibiades; Banree, a sharp last-out allowance winner at Keeneland; and Put Da Blame on Me, fourth as a longshot pacesetter in the Alcibiades.

First post Sunday is 12:40 p.m. Eastern, with the Street Sense at 4:15 and the Rags to Riches at 4:45.

The Stars of Tomorrow concept was first used at Calder when wholly owned by Churchill Downs Inc. before being assimilated into the flagship track’s fall stakes program in 2005 by Donnie Richardson and Doug Bredar.