Street Beast. (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
Trainer Ben Colebrook wins his first $1million race
Compiled by Maribeth Kalinich
HENDERSON, Ky.—Midway Racing, LLC’s Street Beast proved best in the 14th Running of the $1,000,000 Global Tote Juvenile Mile (Listed) for 2-year-olds at Kentucky Downs on Sunday.
Trained by Ben Colebrook and ridden by Luan Machado Street Beast got away well and then ceded the lead to stalk off the pacesetter. He raced two to three wide and advanced willingly sweeping past nearing the three-sixteenths. He moved clear under urging and was taken in hand late once safely ahead for a seven-length victory.
Awesome Connection exchanged incidental contact at the start. He was forwardly positioned stalking in behind inside just off the rail then came out a bit near the three-sixteenths but kept on to get up for place. Baytown Dreamer was urged from the start and soon made the lead to dictate terms with an opening quarter of 22.88. He extended the advantage going well clear on the turn and began shortening up but was overtaken in upper stretch. He held on for show while outfinished for place.
Swamp King, J J Grey, Thunder Zeus, Cibrio, Chalky White and Duke of Suggins complete the order of finish.
Knoty Knicks was scratched.
The final time was 1:33.72 for the one-mile turf contest.
Street Beast paid $4.08 (2.88, 2.40) with Awesome Connection giving a tidy $7.74 (4.32) for place and Baytown Dreamer paying $5.66 for show
Street Beast broke his maiden in a Kentucky Downs allowance race on August 28 and was heavily favored today and now has a record of two wins and one second in three career starts. The bay colt added $591,400 to his career earnings for a total of $760,644.
Bred in Kentucky by Sunnybrook Stables LLD Street Beast is the son of Street Sense out of Flower Party (IRE), by Duke of Marmalade (IRE
The winning owner is Davant Latham of Midway Racing, LLC.
QUOTES:
Winning jockey Luan Machado: “He’s a nice horse. Last time he showed he can sit right off of it. But he’s very quick out of the gate, so that helps me to get in a comfortable spot. He traveled very comfortably the entire way.
“Last time he was a little aggressive. But this time he was way more professional. He didn’t fight me. He was always there for me. When they kind of came to me, he was all there for me.”
Winning trainer Ben Colebrook after winning his first $1million race: “He was a little aggressive early on in his training. So we ran him short first time just to get a race into him, always thinking we were going to stretch him out down here. He showed so much speed, I thought let’s run him 6 1/2. We started thinking about maiden races.
“I had another filly that I entered four times and she still hasn’t gotten in. So I said, ‘Let’s just run when we can.’ So we ran in the Keeneland race (for horses who went through the ring at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale), and that worked out. And this race was coming up pretty tempting, so we said let’s take a swing at it.”
(Did fact that Tiztastic swept Keeneland race — also as a maiden — and Juvenile Mile last year have any bearing on his decision?) “I didn’t really remember that until somebody else told me. To be honest, what gave me confidence was the way he came out of the race (at Kentucky Downs). It didn’t take anything out of him. We know he likes the course, which is a big question a lot of times with horses. For a million bucks, there were 600,000 reasons (the winner’s purse) to try it.
“I think if a horses is doing well, the ‘bounce’ is kind of overrated if you run back before two weeks. When a horse is doing well, I think you have a zone of time where they’re going to continue to do well. After three, four weeks, that can sometimes be the time frame. I’ve had good luck doing that, but very limited starts. But certainly, down here it gives you reason to because it’s such unusual circumstances.
“I think the Breeders’ Cup, the way he ran today, you have to think about it. I’ve been excited to run him a little bit longer. And he really got me excited watching him today. Because he did it so easy. Luan, as soon as he asked him, he exploded.
“In a weird way, he’s been more aggressive in his gallops but more relaxed around the barn. He was kind of the opposite before. He didn’t really take a hold of the bit in his gallops sometimes and he’d be goofing off. But there was no goof off. He’s figuring it out.”
