Dick Powell's 2019 Rags to Riches Stakes Tipsheet

The $120,000 Rags to Riches Stakes will be run at a one-turn mile on the main track at Churchill Downs on Sunday. There is expected rain in Louisville this weekend so the possibility exists for a wet track.   

Top Rags to Riches S. Picks

• #5 Finite
• #4 Specially
• #3 Gone Glimmering
• #7 Lucky Jingle

• $50 Exacta: 5 with 4

Rags to Riches S. runner notes:

#1 LADY GLAMOUR broke her maiden first time out here going 4 ½ furlongs back in May then was an even third when stepped up to stakes company. She came back and won at Ellis Park by over seven lengths but was eased in the stretch last out in the Ellis Park Debutante going seven furlongs. Daughter of Discreet Cat is certainly bred for a wet track and her sire was a great miler.

#2 CURLINESQUE rallied from just off the pace to win going away here at 6 ½ furlongs in her career debut for former Chad Brown assistant trainer Cherie DeVaux. She is certainly bred to stretch out being by Curlin and out of a Storm Cat mare who broke her maiden under the Twin Spires and won the Dogwood Stakes (G2) on a sloppy track. This is the female family of A. P. Indy and Summer Squall so there is plenty of quality.  

#4 SPECIALLY was a very impressive debut winner at Keeneland three weeks ago. From post 10, she pressed the pace three wide then took over turning for home to win as much the best. She covered her last quarter mile in at least 24.07 seconds and looked like she can get the added distance. Her BRIS Pace figures of 95, 97, 93 indicates she was hardly slowing down and Specially shows an easy half-mile breeze since then. Daughter of Tapiture his highest-priced two-year-old in training this year and she is a half-sister to stakes winner Joevia, who set the pace in this year’s Belmont Stakes (G1) and won both of his starts on wet tracks.

#3 GONE GLIMMERING broke her maiden by four lengths in her well-bet career debut going 5 ½ furlongs at Indiana Downs. Trainer Tom Amoss brought her back to beat allowance foes easily and then threw her into the deep end of the pond in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) going two turns at Keeneland. She showed some speed that day from the rail for about six furlongs before backing out of it. Amoss wins 24% with his two-year-olds and the last 213 of them show a flat-bet profit. James Graham rides back. Gone Glimmering's sire, Tapiture, won three graded stakes races on the Churchill Downs main track.    

#5 FINITE was a good second in her well-bet career debut at Saratoga going six furlongs in fast time. She came back there and was second going 6 ½ furlongs when she led to the deep stretch in one of the fastest juvenile filly races of the meet. Last out, Steve Asmussen shipped here to Kentucky Downs where she was able to go gate to wire on the turf going 6 ½ furlongs as the 3-5 favorite. Finite has trained bullets since and could be the one to catch here. Daughter of Munnings is out of a dam by Tapit who was a multiple stakes winner and a full-sister to emerging sire and multiple graded stakes winner Tapiture.

#6 SPOTTED GHOST was soundly beaten in her well-bet career debut going five furlongs at Lone Star back in June. She recovered nicely last month at Remington Park where she was shuffled back from post 1 and got up in time going six furlongs. The daughter of Ghostzapper is certainly bred to get a mile and her dam was a juvenile stakes winner.  

#7 LUCKY JINGLE began her career with three straight starts on the turf. She won second time out going a two-turn mile on yielding turf at Laurel then she ran poorly at Saratoga when moved up to stakes company. Daughter of Tonalist won her dirt debut at Keeneland going an extended seven furlongs last out and now tries stakes company for Graham Motion, who wins 19% going from sprint to route.