Street Sense

As we approach the end of the calendar, we turn our attention to the incoming sire class of 2021. We asked several judges who their favorite incoming sire is for next year and if there are any other stallions, new or otherwise, that have caught their eye as under-the-radar picks. JOE MILLER, Kern Thoroughbreds McKinzie (Street Sense), $30,000, Gainesway  My favorite new sire is a tough decision. There are so many good choices in 2021 and I really do not want to jinx anyone, but I would have to say...

Grade II winner Air Strike (Street Sense--Omnitap, by Tapit) has been acquired by Daryl and Sally Duncan and will enter stud at their Duncan Farms in Warsaw, Ohio in 2021. Raced in partnership by Sol Kumin's Madakat Stables, Slam Dunk Racing and Michael Nentwig, Air Strike won the GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita as a 4-year-old in 2019. Also fourth in last year's GI Bing Crosby S. and GI Forego S., the bay retired with career earnings of $338,810. "We were looking to add a true dirt-sprint pedigree...

Since his maiden-breaking 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy juvenile debut, McKinzie had caught the eye of Gainesway Farm. But according to Gainesway's Director of Stallion Sales and Recruitment Sean Tugel, the son of Street Sense had the attention of nearly every top stud farm in the country. "He was on everybody's radar from the very beginning," he said. "Any time you see one win first time out from Bob Baffert's barn, you have to recognize it." [tdn_vimeo_embed title="McKinzie at Gainesway Farm" admp4="https://player.vimeo.com/external/454078835.sd.mp4?s=e4abccf474c464c025df68f2a109c29ca8402ae7&profile_id=165" videomp4= "https://player.vimeo.com/external/481849258.sd.mp4?s=b0108e0717b96d50a0ed06578fa2458c02f1f51e&profile_id=165" thumbnail= ""] McKinzie's resume only improved from there...

7th-Aqueduct, $79,540, Alw, 11-13, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:17.20, sy, 4 1/2 lengths. FULL IMPACT (c, 3, Street Sense--Four Gifts {MGSW, $640,068}, by Even the Score) was a front-running winner going six panels at Monmouth Oct. 14 and was installed the 3-2 choice to remain undefeated. Up to prompt 9-2 chance War Tocsin (Violence) through a :22.59 opening quarter, the grey was at the pacesetter's throat latch following a :46.47 half. Moving into a clear advantage leaving the quarter-pole, he left the tiring rival behind and drew off to an...

Stud fees have been announced for Darley's U.S. stallions in 2021, with leading sire Medaglia d'Oro set to stand for $150,000. He stood the 2020 season for $200,000. He is currently the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median and was represented by four million dollar-plus offerings in 2020, the same number he was represented by in 2019. "These are trying times breeders are facing," said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox. "We gave great consideration to this when setting our fees to reflect the economic...

Four-time Grade I winner McKinzie (Street Sense--Runway Model, by Petionville) has been retired from racing and will stand stud at Gainesway in 2021, the farm announced Wednesday evening. "McKinzie was absolutely brilliant. He was an undefeated Grade I winner at two, as well as a multiple Grade I winner and top-rated horse at three and four years of age," Brian Graves, General Manager of Gainesway, said. "His speed, precocity and good looks make him an absolute standout." Purchased by Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman for $170,000 at Keeneland...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. How much buzz was there ahead of Speaker's Corner (c, 2, Street Sense-Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini)'s debut run on closing day at Saratoga? Considering patient Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's two-for-48 record with debuting juvenile runners sprinting in dirt maiden special weights at the Spa the past five seasons (stat courtesy DRF Formulator), the Godolphin homebred was nonetheless hammered down as the 3-5 favorite facing eight rivals...

Happier (f, 3, Street Sense--On My Way, by Giant's Causeway), a $800,000 KEESEP yearling graduate, ran to the money in her unveiling for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert at Del Mar Friday evening, earning 'TDN Rising Star' honors. The 6-5 favorite shot out to the front from her inside draw and led through fractions of :22.71 and :45.89. She widened the margin as they turned for home and kept on rolling down the stretch to graduate by 3 1/4 lengths over stablemate Himiko (American Pharoah). Happier was the most expensive...

4th-Indiana Grand, $32,500, Alw, 7-13, (NW2LX), 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.42, fm. NASTY (f, 3, Street Sense--Valiant Passion {GISP, $132,900}, by Lion Heart), firming into 4-5 favoritism to build on an eight-length graduation when trying turf and two turns for the first time June 18, LNJ Foxwoods's Nasty traveled like a winner every step of a Monday allowance at Indiana Grand and came home a measured one-length winner. Wrangled back to sit in a stalking second beneath Fernando de la Cruz, the $230,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition traveled strongly down...

Stonestreet Stables homebred Cazadero made good on his 'TDN Rising Star' tag with a dominant victory in the GIII Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. Demolishing the field by 8 3/4 lengths in his five-panel unveiling beneath the Twin Spires May 29, the Steve Asmussen pupil was heavily favored to repeat in this first juvenile graded stakes of the season. Breaking sharply, Cazadero tracked from a two-wide fourth as longshot County Final (Oxbow) blazed through a :21.24 first quarter. Ranging up two wide on the far turn, the bay...

An expected Kentucky Derby favorite, Godolphin homebred Maxfield (Street Sense) suffered a non-displaced condylar fracture in his right front leg Wednesday morning while breezing a half-mile at Keeneland. The Brendan Walsh trainee joins a growing list of 3-year-olds now off the Derby trail as Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky) was found to have bone bruising also on Wednesday morning. Within the past two weeks, the race also lost the undefeated Bob Baffert colts Nadal (Blame) and Charlatan (Speightstown) due to injuries. "He wasn't cooling out right after the work," Walsh...

Though coming off an impressive win in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs, Maxfield (Street Sense) will not start in the GI Belmont S., this year the first leg in the Triple Crown. His next start will come instead in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11 at Keeneland. The news that Maxfield was headed to the Blue Grass was first reported by the Daily Racing Form. "It's really a matter of trying to make the proper progressive steps," said Jimmy Bell, the president and racing manager...