Street Beast was in command throughout the $124,835 Leonatus Stakes on Saturday night at Turfway Park, by far more than the one-length margin suggested. His victory over a closing Fulleffort - narrowly favored over the winner - announced both colts as players in the division in this key on-ramp to Turfway's Kentucky Derby points races.
Street Beast ($7.02), a Street Sense colt who is trained by Ben Colebrook for Midway Racing, was making his 3-year-old debut after facing classy foes on turf throughout his juvenile season. He finished second on debut at Ellis Park to Twilight Delight, who was later stakes-placed in California. He then won an allowance at Kentucky Downs, with Intricate Spirit, subsequent winner of the Grade 3 Futurity, second. Street Beast went on to romp by seven lengths in the Juvenile Mile at Kentucky Downs less than two weeks later before finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. The runner-up in that race, graded stakes winner Stark Contrast, has already continued to flatter the field by coming back to win the Eddie Logan earlier this month.
Street Beast had shown good early foot in his prior starts, and used it Saturday night under Luan Machado as they broke from the outside in the starting field of eight 3-year-olds. The colt caught a flyer and managed to get over several paths in the short run into the first turn. The colt turned into the backstretch with a clear lead, and despite having his ears pricked and appearing keen to go on, he rated kindly for Machado through an opening quarter-mile of 24.15 seconds and half in 48.54 on the Tapeta.
Valiant, who was coming off an allowance win at Turfway last month, worked his way to the outside after breaking from post 3, and stalked in second outside of well-held longshot Brazilian Conexao. Fulleffort, a late runner, had broken last, but was in sixth traveling up the backstretch after that opening half.
Multiple stakes-placed Jutland, who had been second to Valiant in that allowance, advanced along the inside as Brazilian Conexao backed out of it entering the turn, and Reb Five made an early move as well. But Machado was still unmoving around the turn on Street Beast, who clicked off six furlongs in a moderate 1:14.53. When roused in upper stretch, the colt quickly scooted clear by two lengths.
Fulleffort, who was making his first start since an allowance win on the Keeneland turf last October for Brad Cox, had advanced inland around the turn under Vincent Cheminaud, and split horses in the drive to come outside with a solid rally. Machado showed Street Beast - who appeared to briefly shift outward while not crossing paths with any foes - the stick right-handed and then hand-rode through the final yards to clearly hold on at the wire over Fulleffort, who may have needed the race.
The time for the mile was 1:40.57.
Jutland kept on to be third by a length over Valiant, who is also trained by Cox. They were followed, in order, by Great White, Reb Five, I Did I Did, and Brazilian Conexao. No Joke Joe was scratched.
The Leonatus was the first two-turn stakes of the year for 3-year-olds at Turfway. It leads in to the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 21, awarding points toward the Kentucky Derby on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis, and the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby on March 21, a major prep on the 100-50-25-15-10 scale.
The series has been meaningful. In 2022, Rich Strike was third in the Leonatus, fourth in the Battaglia, and third in the Ruby, then drew into the Kentucky Derby as an also-eligible and pulled off the second-biggest upset in the classic’s history. In 2024, Epic Ride won the Leonatus and went on to finish second in the Battaglia and third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland in a dirt prep. He also drew into the Derby as an also-eligible and was 14th. He is since a Grade 3 winner on turf and multiple graded placed on dirt. Last year, Chunk of Gold was second in the Leonatus before leaving town to run on dirt. After finishing second in both the Grade 2 Risen Star and Louisiana Derby, he finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby and was a Grade 3 winner last summer.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.