Stretch Ride Gets Stakes Test in Kentucky Jockey Club

Street Sense   shined at Churchill Downs, winning the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and the 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) at the Louisville, Ky., track.

On Nov. 25, one of his sons, West Point Thoroughbreds' Stretch Ride , perfect in two starts, also has a chance for stakes glory beneath the Twin Spires in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). The 1 1/16-mile dirt race for 2-year-olds offers qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis to the top-five finishers toward the 2024 Run for the Roses.

Stretch Ride won his debut at Churchill Sept. 17 by catching next-out winner Agoo  by a half-length, and then repeated, this time at a route, in capturing a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer Oct. 14 at Keeneland by 5 3/4 lengths.

No catching (5) Stretch Ride in race 3 as he sails to victory under jockey @chuan_martin. (6) Lightline takes second and (3) Seize the Grey finishes third. pic.twitter.com/6EX4YBWyBd

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 14, 2023

Though his final time at Keeneland of 1:46.34 was ordinary, with a closing sixteenth in :6.98, Stretch Ride earned an 88 Equibase Speed Figure—not far off some of the top speed figures posted by other contenders.

He is the only horse of eight entrants in Saturday's race with a win at the distance.

Martin Chuan rides for trainer Dale Romans.

Rivals With Stakes Experience

Four horses have stakes experience—Awesome Road , Dancing Groom , Nomos , and Risk It . Awesome Road ran seventh in the Oct. 7 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland; Dancing Groom was a distant third in the Oct. 7 Champagne Stakes (G1) during the Belmont at the Big A meet; Nomos ran fourth in the Aug. 31 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course and 12th in the Oct. 8 Bourbon Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland; and Risk It finished second in the Sept. 16 Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Two of five returnees from the Champagne won their next starts, including Fierceness , who romped in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park after a sixth in the Champagne.

Alexandres' Dancing Groom rallied from last to finish 10 1/2 lengths behind victorious Timberlake in the Champagne. That race followed a mile maiden win Aug. 19 at Saratoga after a debut sixth there going six furlongs July 22. 

Disappointing at 3-1 odds in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland was Awesome Road , who ran seventh, beaten 18 1/2 lengths by Locked , the Breeders' Cup Juvenile show finisher. The Albaugh Family Stables and Donegal Racing-owned colt previously won a six-furlong maiden race at Ellis Park over Stronghold , a subsequent maiden winner and recent runner-up in the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.

"He did not run very well (at Keeneland). We were hoping that would launch him to the Breeders' Cup," trainer Brad Cox said of Awesome Road. "He's been working very well. He's always been a good work horse."

He breezed five furlongs at Churchill in 1:00 3/5 Nov. 18 after covering the same distance in :59 4/5 Nov. 10.

A son of Quality Road   out of the A. P. Indy mare Orate —a graded placed turf router and sister to Pulpit—Awesome Road is a half brother to two stakes winners and grade/group 1-placed horses Endless Chatter  and Whitecliffsofdover .

Following the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2), the Kentucky Jockey Club is the co-feature of Saturday's "Stars of Tomorrow" card of races strictly for 2-year-olds. Also part of the 12-race card are two stakes for sprinters: the $225,000 Ed Brown Stakes and the $225,000 Fern Creek Stakes.

Inaugurated in 2005, various "Stars of Tomorrow" programs at Churchill have showcased more than 50 eventual grade 1 winners, including Horses of the Year Gun Runner   (2017) and Rachel Alexandra  (2009).