Churchill Downs Opening Day Stakes Recaps: Jas Edges Staunch in Grade III, $195,000 Street Sense; Wharfie Rallies from Last to Win $190,000 Rags to Riches

Oct 25, 2026

Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC’s Jas put away front-running favorite Card Man leaving the far turn and turned back a formidable stretch rally by Staunch to narrowly win Sunday’s 14th running of the $195,000 Street Sense (Grade III) – the featured event on opening day of Churchill Downs’ 137th Fall Meet and 22nd annual Stars of Tomorrow I program for juveniles.

Jas, a four-length maiden winner at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 29 and runner-up to How’s Al Today in the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile just 11 days later, clocked 1 1/16 miles over a “fast” track in his dirt debut in 1:43.99 and defeated Staunch by a neck. Keith Asmussen rode the Kentucky-bred son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify for his father and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

“He’s a very talented horse and ran great races on turf but trained well on dirt,” Steve Asmussen said. “It’s always nice to have a quarter of a million dollars in earnings before making your first start on dirt. That’s the opportunity Kentucky Downs gave him. With his pedigree, we were confident he’d be able to handle two-turns on dirt.”

Breaking from post No. 5 in the field of seven 2-year-olds, Jas pressed pacesetter Card Man, the 9-5 favorite off a five-length maiden win at Belmont Park last month, through early fractions of :24.20, :48.03 and 1:12.19. Staunch, a four-length maiden winner at Churchill Downs four weeks ago, made a four-wide move around the final turn to meet the leaders and looked like he might surge past Jas in upper stretch. However, Jas responded to the challenge nicely and found more late to hold off the menacing encounter for the gutsy win.

Jas paid $20.12, $6.54 and $3.76 as the 9-1 fifth betting choice. Staunch, under Tyler Gaffalione, returned $3.78 and $2.70 at odds of 5-2. Mystik Bayou, the half-brother to Kentucky Derby 150 winner Mystik Dan with Jose Ortiz up, was another five lengths back in third and paid $2.90 to show at odds of 5-2.

Blessed Flyer was fourth and was followed by Card Man, Very Gifted and Never a Doubt. Ritzy Rags was scratched.

Jas earned $121,140 for Christopher Hicks’ Red Lane Thoroughbreds and improved his record to 4-2-1-0—$368,139. He also earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that will determine the preference list for the 20-horse 153rd Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on May 1. Points were awarded on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

The chestnut colt is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Flag Day and was bred by Earle I Mack LLC, which makes him a half-brother to 2025 Mineshaft (GIII) winner Hall of Fame.

“This horse has come a long way from his first start at Ellis Park,” Keith Asmussen said. “When I first got on him I thought he might be a dirt horse but he was able to handle his turf campaign at Kentucky Downs so well that it speaks to the class of this horse. Being a half-brother to Hall of Fame, it gives you confidence he’ll handle two turns on dirt and he showed that today.”

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.

WHARFIE RALLIES FROM LAST TO WIN $190,000 RAGS TO RICHES

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026) – Godolphin’s homebred filly Wharfie invaded from New York to win Sunday’s 14th running of the $190,000 Rags to Riches (Listed) at Churchill Downs by three-quarters of a length with a come-from-behind victory over longshot Juana Margarita.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Wharfie ran 1 1/16 miles on “fast” dirt in 1:45.91.

Previously, Wharfie won a maiden special weight at Belmont Park on Sept. 19 by 2 ¾ lengths at one mile in her second career start.

Breaking from post No. 2 in the field of seven 2-year-old fillies, Wharfie broke alertly but was content to retreat to the rear as Lunar Velocity, Oh She Said Yes and First Laugh battled for early positioning into the first turn. Lunar Velocity clocked the first quarter mile in :23.88 before Oh She Said Yes came through on the inside to lead at the half-mile marker in :48.63. All the while, Wharfie was content to trail before she was asked for her best move into the final turn. Juana Margarita, who had tracked in fifth down the backstretch, was first to move on the leaders with a wide rally and took over in upper stretch, but Wharfie had a sustained wide run and was hitting her best stride. Wharfie caught Juana Margarita with just 50 yards to the finish for the win.

“She broke well and I just got her settled down the backside,” Alvarado said. “She came with a big run around the turn and she was game digging in late to get by (Juana Margarita).”

Wharfie, the 8-5 favorite, paid $5.40, $3.94 and $4.02. Juana Margarita, with Emmanuel Esquivel aboard, returned $12.56 and $6.26 as the 23-1 longest priced filly in the field. First Laugh, ridden by Flavien Prat, was another 6 ¼ lengths back in third and paid $3.62 to show at odds of 7-2.

Oh She Said Yes was fourth and was followed by Countthetrue, Lunar Velocity and Intraosseous.

Sunday’s payday was worth $121,140 and Wharfie improved her record to 3-2-0-0—$180,740. She also collected 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The top five finishers earned points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1.

“It’s always nice to get a win with a horse like this over the track,” said Godolphin USA’s Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan. “It’s worked out well for us in the past in this race and hopefully it works out again next year. (First Laugh) ran good as well. Running first and third in a stakes with 2-year-olds is always a good day.”

By Essential Quality, Wharfie is a Kentucky-bred dark bay or brown filly out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Waterside.

Sunday’s race is named in honor of Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s 2007 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner.

STREET SENSE STAKES QUOTES

Keith Asmussen, jockey, Jas, winner: “This horse has come a long way from his first start at Ellis Park. When I first got on him I thought he might be a dirt horse but he was able to handle his turf campaign at Kentucky Downs so well that it speaks to the class of this horse. Being a half-brother to Hall of Fame, it gives you confidence he’ll handle two turns on dirt and he showed that today.”

Steve Asmussen, trainer, Jas, winner: “He’s a very talented horse and ran great races on turf but trained well on dirt. It’s always nice to have a quarter of a million dollars in earnings before making your first start on dirt. That’s the opportunity Kentucky Downs gave him. With his pedigree, we were confident he’d be able to handle two-turns on dirt.”

Tyler Gaffalione, jockey, Staunch, runner-up: “I was very proud of his effort with it being only his second start and first around two turns. He stuck his head in front and you could tell he was still learning and didn’t know what to do when he got there. Once he figured it out he really fought the winner to the wire.”

RAGS TO RICHES QUOTES

Junior Alvarado, jockey, Wharfie, winner: “She broke well and I just got her settled down the backside. She came with a big run around the turn and she was game digging in late to get by (Juana Margarita).”

Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock, Wharfie, winner, First Laugh, third: “It’s always nice to get a win with a horse like this over the track. It’s worked out well for us in the past in this race and hopefully it works out again next year. (First Laugh) ran good as well. Running first and third in a stakes with 2-year-olds is always a good day.”