As the story goes, sometime in late 1923 or early 1924, a Kentucky pastor, Rev. Dr. Thomas Settle, convinced some state legislators in Frankfort not to end legalized gambling in Kentucky by repealing parimutuel wagering, much to the relief of the Kentucky Jockey Club and other concerned horsemen. Most ministers may have taken the opposite tack at the time, but not Dr. Settle, and this made him stand out. A well-travelled Englishman who'd found his way to a small congregation on Main St. and Bell Ct. in Lexington, Dr. Settle had loved horses from youth and worked at a track early in life, and he also had personal and practical experience with gambling (which he regretted). He argued that repealing the law that made wagering at the track legal would lead to the proliferation of unregulated and illegal gambling with bookmakers, which he considered a greater evil.

Apparently his Oscar-like performance swayed enough lawmakers to put the brakes on the Bennett Bill. Dr. Settle's delivery was compelling without being over the top, and it was characterized with such words as “voiced,” “spoken,” “tell it,” “preach,” and “narrate.” For his efforts, grateful horsemen in the state and from across the country who'd heard of his defense raised money to build him a new church in Lexington, and inscribed on a plaque within its tower walls is this poignant acknowledgement: “To the Glory of God This Church Is Given to Him by the Lovers of the Horse From All Over the Country As A Token of Appreciation of Their Father's Goodness to His Children – Man.” It's dated 1926.

Religion, politics, and money have long been historically intertwined in horse racing in Kentucky, and what's actually known nowadays as Historical Horse Racing (HHR), Kentucky's equivalent to the slots that has propped up racing and breeding in other states, is very much a part of the present landscape in a state that's the center of the breeding industry in the U.S. HHR games have fueled purse monies in Kentucky to such an extent that the recent Kentucky Downs meet, for example, featured $150,000 maiden races, $500,000 Listed races, and several $1 million Grade ll and Grade lll events. HHR, to understate it, has been a boon to Kentucky horsemen, but horsemen take nothing for granted now. They know winds can change path in a heartbeat, and they have organized groups like the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) to advocate for Kentucky's most famous industry. Several of the movers and shakers behind the scenes are the younger generation like Case Clay of Three Chimneys, the chairman of KEEP, and Price Bell of Mill Ridge, a board member.

Kentucky, let's face it, is a socially conservative state, and despite its starring role in the racing/breeding industry as the home of the Gl Kentucky Derby–the most famous race in the country–and of such outstanding stallions, among others, as Gainesway's Tapit, sire of the undefeated Flightline, widely considered the best horse in training on the planet at the moment; Spendthrift's Into Mischief, sire of Flightline's chief challenger, Life Is Good; and Three Chimneys's Gun Runner, who is represented so far by a jaw-dropping six Grade l winners from his first crop of 3-year-olds, including two Grade l winners and five overall stakes winners Saturday, there's still plenty of opposition to HHR from those who view it as nothing more than a game of chance that's a contributor to moral and societal decay.

This friction between anti-and pro-gambling forces in Kentucky has existed for more than a hundred years, and horsemen have walked a tightrope protecting their interests for just as long. They're just better organized now than during the time of Dr. Settle, but, ironically, a parimutuel issue was once again at the center of the most recent storm that could have had dire ramifications. In February of 2021, HHR, which has been around for a decade, had to be legally written into law as a parimutuel game by Kentucky legislators after the Kentucky Supreme Court said parts of it were not and were therefore potentially illegal. After heated debate, both the House and the Senate passed legislation that included HHR within the definition of parimutuel betting, and it was signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear on Feb. 22, 2021.

But Case Clay said it “came down to the wire,” and the final score–the votes to pass in both chambers were comfortable enough on the surface–didn't represent the closeness of the game.

“The HHR vote underlined the relevance of KEEP,” said Clay. “Relationship building with legislators is an important function of KEEP, and it's something we work on to advocate for the industry.”

Headley Bell, managing partner at Mill Ridge and Price Bell's father, understands relationship building. Mill Ridge threw a party on the Thursday evening after the first four days of selling at Keeneland, and guests included members of the Lexington community outside racing circles, as well as those within it. Linda Gorton, the mayor of Lexington, and Steve Kay, the vice-mayor, were also present, as were representatives of Horse Country Inc., a group of farms and businesses that provides educational tours “dedicated to sharing the stories of Kentucky's Horse Country.” Mill Ridge, with its storied history, is one of many destinations.

Dr. Settle's Dream

Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy) stands at Mill Ridge and occupies the same one-stall stallion barn that once housed the excellent sire Diesis (GB) years ago. Oscar got his 10th first-crop winner Friday when first-time starter Dr. Settle's Dream won a New York-bred maiden special on turf at Belmont-at-Aqueduct for Byron Nimocks's Circle N Thoroughbreds. The win was particularly satisfying for Headley Bell, not only as another winner for the farm's sire, but also because he'd bought the colt for new friend and client Nimocks at OBS June for $30,000 through his Nicoma agency. And how about this? Bell is a longtime member of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Main St. and Bell Ct. that Dr. Settle built, and Bell said that Nimocks's family “is very involved with the church” as well, hence the name of the colt.

Dr. Settle's Dream was bred by Scott Pierce in New York. His first two dams, Voiced, by War Front, and Spoken, by Unbridled's Song, respectively, haven't yet produced any stakes horses, but his Storm Cat third dam Tell It has a stakes winner to her credit, and his fourth dam is Preach, a Grade I winner by Mr. Prospector and the dam of the highly influential stallion Pulpit. The fifth dam is the Honest Pleasure mare Narrate. Not only that, the colt's first seven dams were bred by the Hancocks of Claiborne (the dam was bred by Claiborne in partnership with Adele B. Dilschneider), and Dr. Settle's Dream's seventh dam is Monarchy, a full-sister to Round Table. Bell was no doubt attracted to this long and deep line of Hancock mares, and perhaps their names elicited a smile when he'd zeroed in on the colt.

The gregarious Price Bell is general manager at Mill Ridge and runs the farm's day-to-day operations. I ran into him outside the Mill Ridge consignment on the Sunday before the Keeneland sale began, and we had a conversation about Mill Ridge's past. He reminded me that it was Bull Hancock who'd purchased Sir Ivor for Raymond Guest at the 1966 Keeneland summer sale, paying $42,000 for the future English Derby winner and European champion that Alice Chandler (as Mrs. Reynolds W. Bell), Headley's mother, had bred. Hal Price Headley, Alice Chandler's father, was one of the founders of Keeneland, and Bull Hancock's father, A. B. Hancock Sr., was one of its first trustees.

One thing led to another as we were discussing history and the relationships between the two families, and Price said he had an interesting article for me to read. From his phone he sent it to me right there. It was copy from the Indianapolis Sunday Star from Jan. 16, 1927, and it was about Rev. Dr. Thomas Settle and the church that he built after defending parimutuel wagering in Frankfort. Later that week when I spoke with  Headley and Price Bell at the Mill Ridge party, they convinced me to visit Dr. Settle's church the next day–on Friday, the dark day of selling. This was one week before the horse named after Dr. Settle won in New York.

The Church

Dr. Settle's dream was to build a magnificent church in the English Gothic style, and he realized that dream through the largesse of horsemen, who'd originally offered the minister $50,000 to put toward a house and car after his performance in Frankfort. As the story goes, Dr. Settle demurred and instead asked for donations to build a church for his community, and industry members from Kentucky and across the country responded heartily. One report states that the Thoroughbred Horse Association–Hal Price Headley was the organization's first president–alone raised more than $180,000. A.B. Hancock, Sr. was a big contributor, as were Col. E.R. Bradley of Idle Hour, J.E. Widener of Elmendorf, H.P. Whitney, Max Hirsch, and Charles Berryman (manager of Elmendorf), among many others.

Dr. Settle's attention to detail is evident in the structure as it stands today. The stained glass windows, for instance, are intricate, ornate, and expensive, and the museum-grade wood carvings are from Oberammergau, Germany, which is noted for its highly skilled craftsmen. (The well-known Oberammergau Passion Play's star at the time was the potter Anton Lang, who played Christ in the 1922 production. Lang toured the U.S. in 1923–he was on the cover of Time magazine that year–and brought with him craftsmen from Oberammergau who exhibited their carvings. It's highly likely that Dr. Settle saw or read about this and commissioned expensive works for Good Shepherd subsequently.)

There's a cautionary aspect to the Dr. Settle story, too. In his quest to realize his dream, Dr. Settle spent more than he had, and by the time he left Good Shepherd in 1929, he left the church so heavily in debt that it took years for the congregation to get clear.

But his dream survives as a magnificent house of worship for newer generations of Lexingtonians, and that's what matters.

It matters, too, that horsemen played a role in realizing Dr. Settle's dream.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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He shot out to the front from his inside draw and was hounded on the lead through fractions of :22.66 and :46.67. Still traveling nicely despite continued pressure rounding the far turn, he began to shake clear as they spun for home and took care of business from there to score by four good-looking lengths. Shipsational (Midshipman) was second; Volcanic (Violence) was third.

The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.80.

Saturday, Gulfstream
SAM F. DAVIS S.-GIII, $200,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 2-12, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.80, ft.
1–CLASSIC CAUSEWAY, 118, c, 3, by Giant's Causeway
               1st Dam: Private World (MSW, $166,058), by Thunder Gulch
               2nd Dam: Rita Rucker, by Dmitri
               3rd Dam: Darlease, by Temperence Hill
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M. Cooper;
B-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M. Cooper Family
Living Trust (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: GISP, 4-2-1-1, $301,100. Werk Nick Rating:
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Shipsational, 122, c, 3, Midshipman–Regal Approach, by
Thunder Gulch. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($27,000 Wlg '19
KEENOV; $210,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Iris Smith Stable,
LLC; B-Bertram R. Firestone (NY); T-Edward R. Barker.
$40,000.
3–Volcanic, 118, c, 3, Violence–Pulpit Angel, by Pulpit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($230,000 Ylg
'20 KEESEP). O-Breeze Easy, LLC; B-Don Alberto Corporation
(KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $20,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.60, 7.80, 8.80.
Also Ran: Strike Hard, Golden Glider, God of Love, Little Vic, Kitten Mischief, Mr Rum Runner, Make It Big, Unpredictable Bay, Trademark. Scratched: Howling Time.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club will award points to the Top 4 finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward a spot in the starting gate in the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The race will share the Saturday spotlight with its counterpart for 2-year-old fillies, the $400,000 Golden Rod (G2). The Golden Rod will award the same scale of points to the Top 4 finishers for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

The Kentucky Jockey Club will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. First post is 1 p.m. Along with the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Golden Rod (Race 10), the Saturday program also features the inaugural runnings of the 6 ½-furlong $200,000 Lively Shively in Race 9 and $200,000 Fern Creek for fillies in Race 12.

Howling Time enters the Kentucky Jockey Club unblemished in two career starts for trainer Dale Romans. The colt by Not This Time cruised to a 3 ¼-length victory in the Street Sense, the local prep for the Kentucky Jockey Club on “Stars of Tomorrow I.” The Kentucky-bred broke his maiden at first asking in September when he rallied from six lengths off the early pace for a 1 ½-length victory at odds of 5-1.

“We always thought he showed some promise in his training,” Romans said. “He was really impressive breaking his maiden back in September and proved it wasn't a fluke winning the Street Sense. His looks remind me a lot of his sire. He's got the size and stride that make them similar.”

Howling Time will once again be ridden by Joe Talamo from post No. 5.

“It seems like every race he keeps improving,” Talamo said. “Dale said he's doing even better going into this race than the last one. He has the right mind to him. Coming out of a sprint in his first start he had every right to get tired going two turns for the first time but he was all class. That's half the battle right there, especially with a young horse. He sure passed the test.”

One of the other top contenders Howling Time will face in the Kentucky Jockey Club is Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper's 6 ½-length Saratoga debut winner Classic Causeway. Trained by Brian Lynch, Classic Causeway was the 9-5 favorite in the $500,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) but after breaking from post 13, he tired late and settled for third behind accomplished juveniles Rattle N Roll and Double Thunder.

“He's always been a horse that breaks sharp from the gate,” Lynch said. “We knew that going into the debut so it didn't really surprise us he broke on top like he did but it's always a pleasant surprise to see them win that impressively. Last out in the Breeders' Futurity, he was hung wide from the gate and he battled pretty hard on the lead through fast fractions. I thought he gamely held on for third after the field closed in on him. Going into this start I've been trying to get him to relax a little bit in his training. I've worked him behind horses and in company so he doesn't have to be on the engine.”

Joel Rosario has the call on Classic Causeway from the rail.

Trainer Kenny McPeek entered a duo of budding stars in the Kentucky Jockey Club: Phoenix Thoroughbreds' $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) runner-up Tiz the Bomb and Lucky Seven Stable's eye-catching 5 ½-length debut winner Smile Happy.

“Tiz the Bomb was impressive last out at Del Mar after dealing with all of the pre-race incidents in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf,” McPeek said. “He's handled really anything we've thrown at him so far so going back to the dirt shouldn't be a problem for him.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the mount on Tiz the Bomb from post 6. Hernandez rode Smile Happy last out at Keeneland for his victory in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight. Corey Lanerie will ride the Runhappy colt from post 8.

Another undefeated colt that entered the Kentucky Jockey Club is C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's Florida-invader White Abarrio. The Saffie Joseph-trained colt is perfect in his young career from two starts at Gulfstream Park with a 6 ¾-length victory in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight and a four-length front-running score in a first-level allowance at one-mile. Florida-based jockey Edgard Zayas, who rode White Abarrio to his allowance victory, will travel to Churchill Downs for the mount from post 10.

Here's the complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Classic Causeway (Rosario, Lynch)
2. Guntown (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen)
3. Rich Strike (Rafael Bejarano, Eric Reed)
4. Texas Red Hot (Julien Leparoux, Randy Morse)
5. Howling Time (Talamo, Romans)
6. Tiz the Bomb (Hernandez, McPeek)
7. Vivar (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox)
8. Smile Happy (Lanerie, McPeek)
9. Red Knobs (Ricardo Santana Jr., Romans)
10. White Abarrio (Zayas, Joseph)
11. Ready Pursuit (Martin Garcia, Jerry Antonuik)
12. Ben Diesel (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart)
13. Mannix (IRE) (Edwin Gonzalez, Mark Casse)
14. Call Me Midnight (Chris Landeros, Keith Desormeaux)

Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

The post Undefeated Howling Time Takes On Juv. Turf Runner Up Tiz The Bomb In Kentucky Jockey Club appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Also the runner-up in the G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, Keepmeinmind has collected a total of 18 points on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Smiley Sobotka led the way through fractions of :24.00 and :48.00, before being headed by stakes winner King Fury at the head of the lane. The frontrunner pulled away again, but didn't have enough left to fend off the late run of early trailer Keepmeinmind.

Still last at the three-sixteenths pole, Keepmeinmind wove through traffic to find clear running on the outside in the stretch. Cohen drove Keepmeinmind firmly down the lane to break his maiden by three-quarters of a length over Smiley Sobotka. Arabian Prince checked in third, and Swill was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stable, Keepmeinmind is out of the unraced Victory Gallop mare Inclination. Raced by his breeder to a second on debut at Churchill Downs, the colt also ran second in the Breeders' Futurity in those colors. He was sold to his current ownership before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup. Overall, the colt's record stands at one win, two seconds, and a third from four starts, with earnings just shy of $400,000.

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Favored at 2-1, Keepmeinmind was clearly last into stride and was taken in hand by David Cohen, as Smiley Sobotka (Brody’s Cause) set the pace at the fence from Oncoming Train (Mineshaft) and King Fury (Curlin), who improved three wide into the backstretch. Still at the tail of the field, though not far off of the leaders through the middle furlongs, Keepmeinmind was guided down right onto the rail for the run around the far turn and was quietly handled as they approached the stretch. Cohen got after his mount in earnest at the quarter pole, split horses, produced Keepmeinmind on the grandstand side and raced over the top of long-time leader Smiley Sobotka for a stylish victory. Arabian Prince (Mshawish) made mild progress from the latter third of the field to round out the trifecta. The final time was 0.54 second slower against the clock than the GII Golden Rod S. two races earlier.

A debut second to Arabian Prince in a one-mile maiden rained onto the main track here Sept. 2, Keepmeinmind outran odds of 52-1 to be second to Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 3 and bridged most of a 17-length deficit in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, coming from last to finish two lengths’ third behind Essential Quality.

Pedigree Notes:

Keepmeinmind is the third stakes winner and joins beaten GII Golden Rod S. favorite Simply Ravishing as graded winners for their first-crop sire (by Uncle Mo). Both he and Golden Rod winner Travel Column are out of mares by GI Belmont S. hero Victory Gallop who were 17 and 14 years of age, respectively, when foaling their produce. Keepmeinmind is out of a half-sister to MSW & GISP Mellow Fellow (Belek) and SW & MGSP Zawzooth (Unbridled’s Song) and has a yearling half-brother by Honor Code and a weanling full-brother. Inclination was most recently bred to Practical Joke.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB S.-GII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 11-28, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.52, ft.
1–KEEPMEINMIND, 122, c, 2, by Laoban
                1st Dam: Inclination, by Victory Gallop
                2nd Dam: Lady Blockbuster, by Silent Screen
                3rd Dam: Dunvegan Dancer, by Lt. Stevens
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED-STAKES WIN. O-Cypress
Creek LLC & Arnold Bennewith; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC
(KY); T-Robertino Diodoro; J-David Cohen. $119,040. Lifetime
Record: MGISP, 4-1-2-1, $394,320. *1/2 to In Jack’s Memory
(Malibu Moon), GSP, $100,553. **10th winner and third
stakes winner for freshman sire (by Uncle Mo). Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Smiley Sobotka, 122, c, 2, Brody’s Cause–Dance
Thewayyouare, by Mineshaft. ($185,000 Ylg ’19 FTSAUG).
O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Track West Racing Inc. (ON);
T-Dale L. Romans. $38,400.
3–Arabian Prince, 122, c, 2, Mshawish–Jolene, by Malibu
Moon. ($160,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV; $235,000 Ylg ’19 FTSAUG).
O-West Point Thoroughbreds & William Sandbrook; B-M.
Taylor, J. Taylor, BGT LLC, G. E. Saufley & Louis Brooks Ranch
LP (KY); T-Dallas Stewart. $19,200.
Margins: 3/4, 1 3/4, 2. Odds: 2.00, 3.50, 13.70.
Also Ran: Swill, King Fury, Sittin On Go, Oncoming Train, Ultimate Badger, Inspector Frost. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Never mind whether that sacrosanct date should ever have been dragged into the Covid backwash. Granted a following wind, we hope to have the immemorial landmark back where it should be on the 2021 horizon. And, in contemplating the six-month odyssey ahead, we could not set a more logical course than from the Twin Spires themselves.

True, a reconnaissance on Thanksgiving weekend has in recent times tended not to yield the kind of dividends that first established the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. through the 1920s. By 1930, a race that established the competence of a maturing 2-year-old to go two turns round Churchill was volunteering the GI Kentucky Derby winner for a third time in four years. In the Breeders’ Cup era, however, the prospect of a juvenile championship (and the associated stud baubles) has diverted much traffic. Albeit Saturday’s field does include three taking in both races, coming here as an alternative is typically the work either of a horse that needs time; or of a horseman who takes time.

In the old days, mind you, even the slower-maturing juvenile was given a foundation on the track. Reigh Count took seven attempts to break his maiden and, prematurely sold to John D. Hertz, ended up announcing his Derby candidacy in the 1927 running. He had already given a scare to his new barnmate, Anita Peabody, in a famous running of the Futurity at Belmont. His deference, in narrowly yielding, she later rewarded with the audiences that produced two of only three foals she delivered before her death. (They proceeded to make 200 starts between them.)

His Kentucky Derby success set up Reigh Count not only as the dominant American Thoroughbred of 1928, but for an audacious migration the following year, when he won the Coronation Cup at Epsom and finished second in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Rumoured to have turned down a seven-figure bid for a horse he bought for $12,500, Hertz remarked: “I think a fellow who would pay $1 million for a horse ought to have his head examined. And the fellow who turned it down must be absolutely unbalanced.” Plus ca change…

As it was, Hertz retired the horse to Stoner Creek–the farm he had established on land recommended by Arthur B. Hancock Sr.–where he sired Count Fleet.

Stoner Creek was where Gus Koch acquired the lore he would eventually devote to three decades in the service of Hancock’s grandson Seth Hancock at Claiborne. In fact, he was giving up a Sunday afternoon to nurse the 31-year-old Count Fleet through a bout of colic when a bunch of girls drove up from Lexington to see the Triple Crown winner–one of whom, Theresa, would provide him with 10 children who have meanwhile maintained their surname as a Bluegrass byword for diligence and integrity.

Times change, but horses don’t, and nor, accordingly, does the essence of horsemanship. But the habits and strategies of horsemen do evolve. Since 1931, only three Kentucky Derby winners have emerged from the Kentucky Jockey Club S.: Cannonade (1973-74) and Super Saver (2009-10) won both, while the throwback Real Quiet–who, just like Reigh Count, had taken seven attempts to win a maiden–was third in the 1997 running before coming of age on his return to Louisville.

The old school remains reliably represented today by Barclay Tagg, who spurned an automatic berth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year to come here with Tiz The Law (Constitution). Things didn’t work out on the day, in a messy race on the slop, but then one of the principal purposes of a patient education is learning to cope with adversity. Sure enough, that proved to be Tiz The Law’s only defeat until the Derby was finally staged in September; and very possibly he might have won that, too, on its customary date.

The next generation has a clear leader now in Brad Cox, whose barn has become so powerful that he can take a twin-track approach to the race that defines his native city. With the Breeders’ Cup laurels already secured, here he introduces two maiden winners to stakes company.

Mind you, for a horse just getting started, Swill (Munnings) has been talked about for quite a while already: not least since he was nearly brought down at Saratoga in the summer, coasting past the rest in the gallop-out. He sheds the blinkers as he prepares for that second turn, where he can hopefully draw upon the stamina definitely loaded behind his third dam. But we already know he likes this surface: sharp in his maiden, his :59.8 breeze a couple of weeks ago was the fastest of 57 that morning.

One step at a time. Placing your horses in the right company is one of the critical attributes of a trainer, and Cox has yet to have a Derby starter. But whichever horse graduates from this race will have one fewer query if able to make it all the way through, and return here in May.

Essential Quality (Tapit), meanwhile, is himself ticking over at Churchill before moving down to New Orleans. The Fair Grounds, of course, is where Cox has laid much of the groundwork for the stardom he sealed with those four winners at the Breeders’ Cup. He will be seeking his fourth straight training title, and it would doubtless sit well with him to launch Essential Quality in the GII Risen Star S., or maybe in the GII Southwest S. up at Oaklawn–another track where he has excelled.

The people at Oaklawn did much to sustain morale for the entire industry as the pandemic nightmare took hold. Conceivably they may bring the whole dismal saga full circle. But wherever and whenever it can happen, what a swell party that will be. And who knows? In the meantime, the Swill party could start here and now.

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Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Kentucky Jockey Club is carded as Race 11 of 12 on Saturday's “Stars of Tomorrow II” program featuring all 2-year-old races. First post is 1 p.m. and the Kentucky Jockey Club will go at 5:56 p.m. The race will share the spotlight with its counterpart, the $200,000 Golden Rod (GII) for 2-year-old fillies. The Golden Rod will go as Race 9 at 4:57 p.m.

Churchill Downs' Stars of Tomorrow programs have helped launch the career of more than 50 G1 winners including Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra, Believe You Can and Monomoy Girl, Preakness (G1) winner Swiss Skydiver and 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, who won the Kentucky Jockey Club in 2009.

Keepmeinmind has yet to record a victory for trainer Robertino Diodoro but sports a runner-up effort behind likely 2-year-old champion Essential Quality in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1). Following the Breeders' Futurity, he finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile where he was defeated two lengths by Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie.

Diodoro's go-to rider David Cohen has the mount on Keepmeinmind and will break from post position No. 4.

Another juvenile likely to garner attention in the Kentucky Jockey Club is Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's $98,000 Street Sense winner King Fury. Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury will add blinkers for his start in the Kentucky Jockey Club following his seventh-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Named after the superstar boxer Tyson Fury, King Fury added blinkers in his most recent work at Churchill Downs, a five-furlong move in 1:00.60.

Brian Hernandez Jr. has the call on King Fury from post 8.

Also entered in the field is Albaugh Family Stable's coupled entry of $200,000 Iroquois (GIII) upset winner Sittin On Go and recent maiden winner Smiley Sobotka. Trained by Dale Romans, Sittin On Go recorded a shocking 24-1 upset victory in the Iroquois by 2 ½ lengths. In his first try at two turns, Sittin On Go was forced very wide in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and finished a non-descript ninth.

Corey Lanerie is named in the program on both horses. Should the bottom part of the entry, Smiley Sobotka, run in the field, there will be a late jockey change. Sittin On Go will break from post 2 while Smiley Sobotka drew post 5.

Trainer Brad Cox entered two of his promising juveniles in the Kentucky Jockey Club. Kueber Racing and Ten Strike Racing's three-length maiden winner Swill will break from the rail with Florent Geroux in the irons and Godolphin's two-length maiden winner Inspector Frost drew post 6 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the saddle. Swill, a 2-year-old colt by Munnings, was a wire-to-wire winner in his third start on Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs while Inspector Frost broke his maiden at second asking on Oct. 18 at Keeneland under Geroux. This will be both colt's first start going two turns and they will both remove blinkers for this start.

The complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club (with jockey and trainer): #1 Sittin On Go (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans); #1a Smiley Sobotka (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans); #2 Swill (Geroux, Cox); #3 Arabian Prince (Tyler Gaffalione, Dallas Stewart); #4 Keepmeinmind (Cohen, Diodoro); #5 Inspector Frost (Velazquez, Cox); #6 Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito); #7 King Fury (Hernandez, McPeek); and #8 Ultimate Badger (Joe Talamo, Romans).

As a “Prep Season” race on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby,” the Top 4 finishers in the Kentucky Jockey Club will receive 10-4-2-1 points, respectively.

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“This is a Kentucky Derby-type horse,” winning trainer Kenny McPeek said. “We may look at the (Nov. 6) Breeders' Cup Juvenile but more than likely just wait for the (Nov. 28) Kentucky Jockey Club. The future is very bright for a horse like this.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the well-bred 2-year-old colt for McPeek and owners Fern Circle Stables (Paul Fireman) and Three Chimneys Farm LLC (Goncalo Torrealba). The son of 2007-08 Horse of the Year Curlin ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.30.

Purchased for $950,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2019 Saratoga Sale, King Fury is the first foal out of six-time stakes winner and 2016 Humana Distaff (Grade I) hero Taris.

Breaking from post No. 4 in the field of six juveniles, King Fury rated just behind Franz Josef and Super Stock as the leader rattled off comfortable early quarter-mile clips of :24.60, :49.51 and 1:14.34. King Fury circled three-wide around the final turn as Super Stock took over leaving the final turn. The chestnut colt with a big white blaze found his best running in deep stretch and held off Super Stock as the two battled on determinedly to the wire. A half-length separated the top two at the finish and it was another 3 ¾ lengths back to third-place finisher Oncoming Train.

King Fury, who earned $59,835 for the win and improved his record to 3-2-0-0—$116,979, paid $7.40, $3.40 and $3 as the 5-2 second betting choice. Super Stock, ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., returned $2.80 and $2.40. Oncoming Train, with Rafael Bejarano up, paid $3.

Arabian Prince finished fourth and was followed by Franz Josef and Crime Spree. Eucharist was scratched.

King Fury, bred in Kentucky by Heider Family Stables, broke his maiden by 2 ¾ lengths in his career debut on Sept. 3 at Churchill Downs, but subsequently finished eighth one month later after racing four-wide throughout in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (GI) at Keeneland.

“His last race at Keeneland was pretty puzzling because we thought he'd run a lot better than he did,” McPeek said. “I think the track ended up being pretty forward that day and his trip didn't really help things.”

Should McPeek bypass the Breeders' Cup Juvenile which comes 12 days after the Street Sense, King Fury could vie for favoritism in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII), a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs on Saturday, Nov. 28. The Kentucky Jockey Club is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” point series that will determine the field of 20 horses that will compete in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 1.

The Street Sense is named in honor of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense who became the first horse to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) as a 2-year-old and the Run for the Roses at age 3. He also was the first Champion Two-Year-Old Colt to win the Kentucky Derby since Spectacular Bid who won the Kentucky Derby in 1979.

Each of Sunday's races was for 2-year-olds, and Sunday marked the first time spectators watched live racing at Churchill Downs since Dec. 1, 2019, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. A limited attendance of 1,534 was on-hand with proper social distancing as Churchill Downs followed the COVID-19 health and safety protocols for Venues and Events as mandated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Racing continues every Wednesday-Sunday at 1 p.m. ET through Sunday, Nov. 29.

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The 1 1/16-mile Street Sense and Rags to Riches are the co-headlining races of the 11-race kickoff of the 24-day Fall Meet. Dubbed as Stars of Tomorrow I, the afternoon will feature all 2-year-old racing. First post is 1 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Super Stock, a Kentucky-bred son of Dialed In, broke his maiden Aug. 11 in the $113,000 Texas Futurity at Lone Star Park. The colt subsequently finished third in the $200,000 Iroquois presented by Ford (Grade III) and $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (GI). Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call from post No. 7.

The complete field for the Street Sense in order of post position (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Crime Spree (Mitchell Murrill, Eric Heitzmann, 15-1); Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito, 9-2); Arabian Prince (Joe Talamo, Dallas Stewart, 4-1); King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 9-2); Eucharist (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset, 5-1); Franz Josef (Julien Leparoux, Glenn Wismer, 10-1); and Super Stock (Santana, Steve Asmussen, 8-5).

The Street Sense annually serves as a steppingstone to the $200,000 Jockey Club (G2) on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs. It is carded as Race 8 with a post time of 4:36 p.m.

Two races later, Coach will stretch out in distance for the first time in the Rags to Riches. Trained by Brad Cox, Coach recorded dominant victories at Indiana Grand breaking her maiden by 4 ¼ lengths and besting first-level allowance company by 9 ¾ lengths. The daughter of Commissioner will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post No. 8.

The field for the Rags to Riches from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Orsetto (Declan Cannon, Tim Austin, 8-1); Malibu Bird (Tyler Gaffalione, Norm Casse, 9-2); Dash to the Top (Gabriel Saez, Wayne Catalano, 15-1); Oliviaofthedesert (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 4-1); Lady Traveler (Joe Talamo, Dale Romans, 5-1); Salty as Can Be (Ricardo Santana Jr, Mark Casse, 5-1); Torsie's Charm (Adam Beschizza, Eddie Kenneally, 20-1); Coach (Geroux, Cox, 3-1); and Midnight Ballerina (Julien Leparoux, Bill Mott, 8-1).

Inaugurated in 2005, the Stars of Tomorrow programs at Churchill Downs have helped launch the careers of more than 50 future Grade I winners including Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra, Believe You Can and Monomoy Girl and Preakness (GI) winner Swiss Skydiver.

A total of 104 horses were entered in the body of Sunday's card for an average of 9.45 horses per race.

Sunday's National Weather Service forecast calls for cloudy conditions with highs in the high 60s. The rail on the Matt Winn Turf Course will be set in Lane 2, 15 ft. off the inside hedge.

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So much has changed since then for the New York-bred son of Constitution, including four straight graded stakes wins to start his sophomore campaign. After capturing the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, Tiz the Law has been making history since, becoming the first state-bred in more than a century to win the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes by 3 ¾ lengths on June 20 and followed by throttling the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers field by 5 ½ lengths on August 8 at Saratoga.

Those efforts have primed Tiz the Law, bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, for a shot at history as he continues on the Triple Crown trail. The next challenge is a return engagement at Churchill, where he will be the likely heavy favorite in the 146th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on September 5.

Jockey Manny Franco, who expertly piloted the Barclay Tagg-trained Tiz the Law to four Grade 1 wins, including the Champagne in October at Belmont Park, said his charge has matured since his last appearance in the Bluegrass State.

Traditionally the opening leg of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is now the middle jewel, with the Belmont Stakes serving as the opener to accommodate the revised training schedule for 3-year-olds due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Though the circumstances are different with the race being in September instead of May, the “Run for the Roses” will maintain its signature full field, with up to 20 entrants still expected. Though Tiz the Law remains the unanimous leader in the NTRA top 3-year-old poll [and fifth in the top overall thoroughbred poll overall], Franco said the Derby will see the rest of the field looking to take down the favorite.

“If we get a good position, it's going to be the same,” Franco said. “We just need a good break and put him where he's comfortable, and he'll have a great race.”

In the Runhappy Travers, Franco was able to gear down Tiz the Law in deep stretch, but said he likely won't have that luxury a week from now.

“The Derby won't be an easy race, so we have to be prepared for everything that day and I think on that day, I'm going to have to make him run and see what he has in the tank,” Franco said. “He gave me great confidence after the last race because he handled the mile and a quarter, and the way he won, it gave me more confidence.”

The opportunity to ride Tiz the Law for owner Sackatoga Stable has been a continuation of a flourishing career for Franco. Still just 25 years old, Franco has come into his own as a jockey, winning the last two New York Racing Association year-end riding titles on the highly competitive circuit. Last November, he won his first career Breeders' Cup race, guiding Sharing to victory in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and won his first American Classic in this year's Belmont.

A win in the Kentucky Derby would set up a potential history making spot in the Grade 1 Preakness on October 3, where Tiz the Law could attempt to become just the 14th Triple Crown winner in history.

“This is a horse that any rider needs; we all need a shot on this kind of horse,” Franco said. “I'm really enjoying the moment to have this opportunity. I'm trying to do the best I can. He does things the other horses can't. I put him wherever I want and he's going to be there for me. Some horses, that's not [the case]. He has a lot of ability. He's very easy to ride. He rates. He does whatever I ask.”

Franco, who started riding in the United States in 2013, has won seven of his 11 career Grade 1 victories occur since 2019. His agent is Hall of Famer Angel Cordero, Jr., who won a pair of Kentucky Derbies with Bold Forbes in 1976 and Spend a Buck in 1985.

“Angel is a Hall of Fame rider and I'm just happy to have him on my side because he's been in this position before and he always talks to me about how to handle this time,” Franco said. “I'm just blessed to have him in my corner. I just listen to him and try to put it in practice.”

Franco entered Friday with 1,385 career wins in 9,710 starts.

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