Universe winning on debut August 30 at Saratoga. (Coglianese/NYRA)
Road To Kentucky Derby: Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Street Sense Stakes On Opening Day
Life Of Joy Headlines $200,000 Rags To Riches As Cox Eyes Another Potential Oaks Star
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four G Racing, Gregg Day and Steven Crain’s Grade I placed colt Universe will continue his Road to the Kentucky Derby when he faces six promising juveniles entered in Sunday’s 13th running of the $200,000 Street Sense Stakes (Grade III), the headliner on Sunday’s opening day card of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet.
The 1 1/16-mile Street Sense is part of a stakes doubleheader on Sunday’s card that features all 2-year-old races for Stars of Tomorrow I. The field will go to post in Race 10 at 5:25 p.m. (all times Eastern).
Two races prior, seven 2-year-old fillies will take the spotlight for the $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed), a “Prep Season” event on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
First post is 1 p.m.
Universe, under the care of 2024 Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Kenny McPeek, broke his maiden on debut at Saratoga when he upset eight rivals at odds of 17-1. Following that win, McPeek pointed the son of Global Campaign to the one-mile Champagne Stakes (GI) where he tracked the early pace but was defeated by Napoleon Solo and Talkin. Universe will be ridden in Sunday’s race by Jose Ortiz and break from post No. 3.
Along with Universe, McPeek also entered Dream Big Racing’s maiden special weight winner Very Connected. The son of Connect will be piloted by Manny Esquivel out of post 4.
The Street Sense field also includes Iroquois Stakes (GIII) third-place finisher Vost; first-level allowance winner Ganaas; and local maiden special weight winners I Did I Did and Incredibolt.
The field for the Street Sense in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):
- Vost (Luis Saez, Will Walden)
- Ganaas (Edgar Morales, Andrew McKeever)
- Universe (Jose Ortiz, McPeek)
- Very Connected (Esquivel, McPeek)
- Bricklin (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset)
- I Did I Did (Irad Ortiz Jr., Mike Maker)
- Incredibolt (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott)
The Street Sense is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby “Prep Season” where the top five finishers will receive points based on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale to qualify for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on Saturday, May 2.
Last year’s Street Sense would produce eventual Kentucky Derby 151 winner Sovereignty. Another recent winner of the race was Two Phil’s (2022), who finished second to Mage in Kentucky Derby 149.
Inaugurated in 2005, Churchill Downs’ Stars of Tomorrow programs have helped launch the careers of some of horse racing’s biggest stars led by two Horse of the Year champions Gun Runner (2017) and Rachel Alexandra (2009); four Kentucky Derby winners Super Saver (2010), Mandaloun (2021), Mystik Dan (2024) and Sovereignty (2025); and seven Longines Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra (2009), Believe You Can (2012), Monomoy Girl (2018), Secret Oath (2022), Pretty Mischievous (2023), Thorpedo Anna (2024) and Good Cheer (2025).
Life Of Joy Headlines $200,000 Rags To Riches As Cox Eyes Another Potential Oaks Star
The $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed) has proven to be a productive launching pad for trainer Brad Cox, who won the race with Monomoy Girl (2017) and Good Cheer (2024) before each went on to capture the Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I). On Sunday, he’ll look to continue that trend with Life of Joy, an eye-catching 14 ¾-length debut winner three weeks ago at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Owned by Will Straud, Life of Joy was well-backed in her debut, defeating seven rivals as the 3-2 favorite. The daughter of Gun Runner was purchased for $375,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post No. 4.
The Rags to Riches field also includes The Grumpy Rabbit and Go to Girl, who finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Alcibiades Stakes (GI) for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Grumpy Rabbit, owned by Edwin Anthony, was beaten 5 ½ lengths in the Alcibiades by Percy’s Bar, who was disqualified to second behind Tommy Jo. Jose Ortiz rides from post 5, while stablemate Go to Girl, owned by WSD Stable, will break from post 7 under Manny Esquivel.
Another talented filly in the field is Schuylerville Stakes (Listed) winner Kingsolver. Owned in partnership by Storyteller Racing, Schroek Racing, Open Gate Horse Ventures, Brian Cahoe,Scott Catlett, Dave Russel, Matthew Randsdell, Michael Motley and Joel Braun, Kingsolver is cross-entered in Saturday’s six-furlong Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland. Florent Geroux was named to ride in the Rags to Riches and drew post 1.
The lineup for the Rags to Riches from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Kingsolver (Geroux, Rodolphe Brisset)
- Tearin’up My Heart (Edgar Morales, Genaro Garcia)
- Americathegreat (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse)
- Life of Joy (Irad Ortiz Jr., Cox)
- The Grumpy Rabbit (Jose Ortiz, McPeek
- Josie Joe (Luis Saez, Riley Mott)
- Go to Girl (Esquivel, McPeek)
The 13th renewal of the Rags to Riches will go as Race 8 at 4:25 p.m. (all times Eastern) on Sunday’s 11-race Stars of Tomorrow I program, which showcases 2-year-olds in each race. The card also includes the $200,000 Street Sense (GIII) as Race 10 at 5:25 p.m. First post is 1 p.m.
As part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks “Prep Season” the top five finishers of the Rags to Riches will receive qualifying points based on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate for the 152nd running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1.
