(Street Band before this year’s KY Oaks / Photo by Holly M. Smith)

Every day, we scour the work tabs at racetracks all over the country.  We are looking for workouts that may be of interest and helpful to you — as both race fans and handicappers.  Some of the horses we will be tracking, you will know.  Some of them, you may not know — as of yet.  We will keep a keen eye and stopwatch to see who may be working well:

  1. Distant Shore, a 3YO Algorithms colt trained by Tom Amoss for the Churchill Downs Racing Club, worked this morning at Churchill. The colt breezed a half mile in :48.20, which was 6th best out of 37 to go that far. In 8 lifetime starts, to date, Distant Shore has racked up an impressive 2-2-2 record and has earnings over $101,000 now. This guy did run second in the Arlington-Washington Futurity as a 2YO last September. A return to the poly, or a try over the grass can’t be out of the question. Watch for this one. Consistent sort.
  2. Street Band, the impressive winner of the Indiana Oaks last time out for trainer J. Larry Jones, worked this morn under the Twin Spires, as well. The 3YO Istan filly went a splendid 4 furlongs in :47 flat. Wow time. That was the 2nd fastest split out of the 37. She’s not the biggest filly in the world, but may have an over-sized engine to make up for it. In 10 career starts, she has 4 wins and 2 thirds and earnings over $434,000 now. After winning the Fair Grounds Oaks back in March, she ran 6th in the KY Oaks. Looks back on track now.
  3. Straight Shot, a 3YO son of Trappe Shot and trained by Ian Wilkes, ran second in an allowance at Ellis Park on July 5. In 4 career starts now, he has a win, a second and a third. The only time off the b board was in the career debut at Keeneland last October. Look for more out of this one. The Whitham homebred worked 5 furlongs today in a very nice, comfortable, easy-looking 1:01.20. That was 2nd best out of the first 9 to go that far. Impressive looking type here.
  4. Girls Know Best, a 5YO mare by Caebl’s Posse, has not raced since winning the Abundantia Stakes at Gulfstream Park last December. But in 21 career starts, she has 11 wins, 3 seconds and a third. In her only try at Graded Stakes company, she was 4th in the G3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County at Keeneland last October. She got her 3rd published work since July 17 at Keeneland this morning for trainer Eddie Kenneally. Went an impressive 3 furlongs in :35.40, which was 3rd best of the 14 to try the distance. Will be fun to see this one get back to the races. Has climbed from the claiming ranks to the Stakes level. Gutsy.