Street Ready News Today

Smokin’ T grabbed the lead with a furlong to run and drew clear late to win Saturday’s $289,858 River City (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Stablemates have occupied the top two spots in the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) for two years running and, if the local prep for one of the richest grass races in North America is any indication, a third year is not out of the question.

Lady Speightspeare is the lone female on the invitation list. The 5-year-old Speightstown mare owns four career graded-stakes wins – the 2020 Natalma (G1) and 2022 Nassau (G2), Trillium (G3) and Seaway (G3), all at Woodbine.

Two-time defending champion Colonel Liam and fellow Grade 1 winners Decorated Invader, Ivar, Shirl’s Speight and Speaking Scout are among a dozen horses on the first invitation list for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles’ City Man, under patient handling from jockey Joel Rosario, found a seam along the rail in mid-stretch and sprinted clear late to extend his win streak to three races in Saturday’s $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes drew a full field of 12, plus one also-eligible, running nine furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park.

Colonel Liam was entered in an optional claiming allowance Dec. 15 at Gulfstream, where he was the first of three also-eligibles in an overflow field of 15. He ultimately was scratched when the race was rained off the grass to the all-weather Tapeta course.

Hozier, owned by Ted Nixon’s Storyteller Racing, went straight to the front and never looked back while winning Sunday’s $292,500 River City at Churchill Downs by 3 ½ lengths over Starting Over.

‘Birthday parties to shaadi to mundan, I started off by dancing everywhere’