Jas, a 5th-choice longshot, held off a determined Staunch to win the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs by a neck, earning 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The $200,000 race was run at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-olds on a fast dirt track.
Race summary
Winner: Jas, a chestnut colt owned by Red Lane Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Keith Asmussen, who is Steve’s son
Margin: A neck over Staunch
Final time: 1:43.99 over a fast main track
Winner’s share: $121,140
Field: Seven 2-year-olds (Ritzy Rags was scratched)
Kentucky Derby points: 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers
How the race unfolded
The early pace. Betting favorite Card Man, ridden by Flavien Prat, took the lead along the rail and set fractions of :24.20 for the opening quarter and :48.03 for the half-mile. Jas, the fifth choice, raced two wide between horses, with Never a Doubt on the outside in the three-wide path. The three horses sparred down the backstretch and around the far turn.
The turn for home. Card Man still led by a head through three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.19. Meanwhile Staunch, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, swung four wide and moved up to challenge as they approached the stretch.
The stretch battle. Card Man gave way in the upper stretch, and Jas dug in against Staunch. Jas carried a head advantage through the mile, timed in 1:37.49, and never let go of it. He stopped the clock at 1:43.99 and held on for the win by a neck.
Order of finish and Derby points
| Finish | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Notes | Derby points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jas | Keith Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | Won by a neck | 10 |
| 2 | Staunch | Tyler Gaffalione | Brendan Walsh | Four wide, ran on gamely | 5 |
| 3 | Mystik Bayou | José Ortiz | Kenny McPeek | 5¼ lengths back; second choice | 3 |
| 4 | Blessed Flyer | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Michael Tomlinson | 7¼ lengths behind the winner | 2 |
| 5 | Card Man | Flavien Prat | n/a | Favorite; faded after setting the pace | 1 |
| 6 | Very Gifted | n/a | n/a | 0 | |
| 7 | Never a Doubt | n/a | n/a | 0 |
The key performances
Jas. He ran second on September 9 at Kentucky Downs, then made the step up to Grade 3 company and delivered. Racing between horses from the first turn all the way to the wire, he never gave ground in the stretch. He’s now a 2-year-old on the board for the 2027 Derby with 10 qualifying points.
Staunch. Trained by Brendan Walsh, he made a wide four-path move and came up just short. His second-place finish earned 5 Derby points.
Mystik Bayou. The second choice, trained by Kenny McPeek, ran into traffic in the two path as the field entered the lane. José Ortiz moved him out to the five path at the three-sixteenths pole, and the colt rallied only mildly to finish third, 5¼ lengths behind the winner.
Blessed Flyer. Fourth, 7¼ lengths behind the winner, with Brian Hernandez Jr. up for trainer Michael Tomlinson.
Card Man. The favorite and pacesetter faded to fifth, collecting the last Derby point.
Payoffs
| Horse | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jas | $20.12 | $6.54 | $3.76 |
| Staunch | n/a | $3.78 | $2.70 |
| Mystik Bayou | n/a | n/a | $2.90 |
What it means for the Kentucky Derby trail
Jas now has 10 points, which puts him on the 2027 Derby board. A Grade 3 win on dirt over 1 1/16 miles is a good sign, since it’s the same distance Derby prospects stretch to at this stage. He’ll need to prove he can handle bigger company, since his win came by only a neck against a short field of seven.
Also keep an eye on Staunch (5 points) and Mystik Bayou (3), who could both improve with a cleaner trip.
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Source: race report from Horse Racing Nation. This post is for information and entertainment.