Street Sounds, making her first start since winning the Selima Stakes last November on the turf at Laurel, stayed well off the rail at Keeneland Thursday afternoon while taking the $250,000 Stonerside Beaumont Stakes (gr. II) (VIDEO). The 3-year-old filly covered the seven furlongs and 184 feet in 1:25.85 and held on for a neck win over Forever Together.
Trained by Michael Matz and ridden by Edgar Prado, the daughter of Street Cry is out of the Danzig Connection mare Rare Opportunity. Street Sounds was bred by Anderson Farms and Rod Ferguson in Ontario, Canada.
Breaking from the outside post in the seven-horse field (Pro Pink was scratched), Street Sounds got away from the gate sharply and stayed well off the rail as she cruised for the lead with Eternal Grace and Palace Pier.
Following an opening quarter over the Polytrack in :24.15, Street Sounds and Palace Pier separated themselves from the pack. The half went in :46.38. Turning for home, Street Sounds grabbed the advantage and hit the six-furlong marker in 1:09.98. She was challenged in deep stretch to her outside by 3-2 favorite Forever Together and held on for the win by a half-length.
Street Sounds returned $20.40, $7.40, and $4.80. Forever Together paid $3.20 and $3.20. Palace Pier held for third and returned $7. The 8-6 exacta paid $72.20.
A two-time winner last year, with both wins coming on the turf course, Street Sounds broke her maiden going a mile at Delaware Park Oct. 3. She then ran third in Keeneland's Jessamine Stakes at 8.5 furlongs prior to winning the Selima as the 3-5 favorite.
The remaining order of finish was Silverinyourpocket, Baroness Thatcher, Eternal Grace, and Sutra.
“She showed a lot of courage because I saw that horse on the outside coming, and she gave me an extra effort,” said Prado.
The victory also gave trainer Michael Matz his second consecutive Keeneland win after taking the seventh race with Wood Be Willing.
“We weren’t sure we were making the right move because she did so well on the turf, but she had trained well on the Polytrack and it worked out well today,” said Matz.
“She didn’t break as sharply in the beginning as she sometimes does, and I’m not sure why,” said Forever Together’s trainer, Jonathan Sheppard. “But she ran very gamely; she was still coming on at the end.”
Palace Pier, the 33-1 longshot, was 1 ¾ lengths behind in third. The field was reduced to seven horses with the scratch of Pro Pink.
Street Sounds, who races for Mike Pulaski’s Hidden Creek Farm, was purchased at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $400,000. With the $155,000 winner’s share of the Stonerside Beaumont, she increased her career earnings to $258,400 with three wins in six starts.
Earlier on the card, One Hot Wish sizzled in her first career start, winning a 4 1/2-furlong race in final time of :48.47 seconds. According to the track's publicity office, the time represents a world record for the distance. The 2-year-old filly, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, broke the mark of 49 seconds set by Motivo on Sept. 5, 2006, at Yavapai Downs in Arizonaon dirt. One Hot Wish beat Lantana Bob by 12 lengths, and paid $4.60, $3.40 and $3.20. Lantana Mob returned $6.60 and $4, and High Bridled paid $3.20 to show.
(Chart, Equibase)