Study Guide: 2026 Street Sense Stakes

Oct 21, 2026 J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

Card Man wins at Belmont Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photos/NYRA)

Eight lightly raced two-year-olds will join the Road to the Kentucky Derby in Sunday’s $200,000 Street Sense (G3) on opening day of the Churchill Downs fall meet.

Run over 1 1/16 miles on dirt, the Street Sense awards 2027 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis.

Let’s meet the 2027 Street Sense field:

Ritzy Rags

Ritzy Rags wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Jeremy Haines
Breeder: Calumet Farm
Trainer: Destin Heath
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano

Top Speed Rating: (66) when winning a $30,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $32,967

Sire: Union Rags
Dam: In Dy Ritz
Color: Dark bay/brown

Ritzy Rags exits a victory in a $30,000 maiden claimer racing one mile at Churchill Downs, but the 66 Brisnet Speed rating he earned looks light against this tough Street Sense field.

Blessed Flyer

Blessed Flyer wins the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media/Cady Coulardot)

Start(s): 2
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Patricia’s Hope and Mark Farrar
Breeder: C. W. Swann & Wetherbee Holdings
Trainer: Michael Tomlinson
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

Top Speed Rating: (93) when winning the Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $188,255

Sire: Dialed In
Dam: Introspection
Color: Dark bay/brown

Blessed Flyer went 2-for-2 during the first half of 2026, most notably rallying late to win the six-furlong Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs. But he hasn’t raced since June 28, and he’s tackling a much longer distance in the Street Sense. Those are two formidable obstacles he’ll have to overcome to keep his perfect record intact.

BLESSED FLYER (31-1) prevails in the Bashford Manor S. following a photo finish. The winning jockey is @b_hernandezjr, trainer Mike Tomlinson.

Bet #TwinSpires pic.twitter.com/mXdqamWXTk

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 28, 2026

Card Man

Card Man wins at Belmont Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photos/NYRA)

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Jeffrey Drown
Breeder: Kindred Racing Stable
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat

Top Speed Rating: (94) when winning a maiden special weight at Belmont Park.
Total Earnings: $105,500

Sire: Life Is Good
Dam: Dover Dreams
Color: Bay

Card Man finished second in his debut sprinting at Saratoga, beaten only by next-out Breeders’ Futurity (G1) third-place finisher Q B Rocket. When Card Man stretched out over one mile for his second start, he romped by five lengths and earned a strong 94 Brisnet Speed rating. He’s a serious threat to win the Street Sense.

Mystik Bayou

Mystik Bayou wins at Belmont Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photo / Credit to Walter Wlodarczyk)

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 1

Owner: 4 G Racing, Lance Gasaway, and Daniel Hamby III
Breeder: Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, and 4G Racing
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Top Speed Rating: (92) when winning a maiden special weight at Belmont Park.
Total Earnings: $68,800

Sire: Wells Bayou
Dam: Ma’am
Color: Dark bay/brown

Another logical win contender is Mystik Bayou. He finished third behind future Champagne (G1) winner U. S. S. Valor in his debut sprinting at Saratoga, then tackled 1 1/16 miles in a Belmont Park maiden special weight and won by 4 1/4 lengths with a 92 Brisnet Speed rating. A similar performance in the Street Sense could put Mystik Bayou in the hunt for victory.

Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch 👀⤵️

𝗠𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗞 𝗕𝗔𝗬𝗢𝗨, the half-brother of MYSTIK DAN, showed early speed and was victorious last Saturday at Belmont Park, winning by 4 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:42.03.

Read Keeler's insights here:
🔗https://t.co/f4FOr3o0zD#TwinSpires pic.twitter.com/ttJ8gZLN6y

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 8, 2026

Very Gifted

Very Gifted wins at Keeneland. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 1
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Brownwood Farm
Breeder: Brownwood Farm
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Emmanuel Esquivel

Top Speed Rating: (69) when winning a $30,000 maiden claimer at Keeneland.
Total Earnings: $20,576

Sire: Gift Box
Dam: Kiss Me Now
Color: Gray/roan

Very Gifted launched a last-to-first rally to win his debut in a $30,000 maiden claimer sprinting at Keeneland. However, he’ll need to improve upon the 69 Brisnet Speed rating he earned to challenge tougher foes in the Street Sense.

Jas

Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Red Lane Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Earle I. Mack
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Keith Asmussen

Top Speed Rating: (81) when winning a maiden special weight at Kentucky Downs.
Total Earnings: $246,999

Sire: Justify
Dam: Flag Day
Color: Chestnut

Jas has competed exclusively on turf, most notably running second in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. His pedigree suggests there’s a good chance he’ll handle dirt without issue, so Jas is a logical candidate to factor for a top-three finish in the Street Sense.

Staunch

Staunch wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 1

Owner: Bourbon Fueled Racing
Breeder: Runnymede Farm, Peter J. Callahan, and Enid Sanford
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

Top Speed Rating: (87) when winning a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $78,668

Sire: Liam’s Map
Dam: Future Show
Color: Gray/roan

Staunch was much the best in a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs last month, charging from off the pace to dominate by four lengths. The 87 Brisnet Speed rating he received suggests a top-three finish in the Street Sense is well within reach.

Never a Doubt

Start(s): 4
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 1

Owner: Palm Beach Racing V
Breeder: Palm Beach Racing III
Trainer: Carlos David
Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Top Speed Rating: (93) when winning a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $50,050

Sire: Mendelssohn
Dam: Ride a Wave
Color: Bay

Never a Doubt won his debut sprinting at Gulfstream Park with a flashy 93 Brisnet Speed rating, but he hasn’t earned a number higher than 77 in three subsequent starts. He exits a fourth-place finish in a six-furlong Keeneland allowance and will need a rebound to challenge in the Street Sense.