'Stars of Tomorrow' program kicks off Churchill meet

Churchill Downs opens its fall meet, and ushers in Breeders' Cup week, on

Sunday with the "Stars of Tomorrow I" program. Designed to showcase emerging

two-year-old talent, the 11-race card is dedicated exclusively to the juvenile

set and features the Grade 2, $150,000

Pocahontas Stakes for fillies and the Grade 3, $100,000

Iroquois

Stakes.

The Iroquois is a stepping stone to the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club, while

the Pocahontas is a lead-up to the Grade 2 Golden Rod. Both of those contests

are slated for the "Stars of Tomorrow II" card on November 26, the penultimate

day of the 21-day stand ending November 27.

The one-mile Pocahontas has attracted 12 entrants, including a few who

wouldn't have been out of place in the Breeders' Cup. Indeed, Believe You Can,

Heart of Destiny, Georgie's Angel and My Due Process were all under Breeders'

Cup consideration, but connections opted to take the more conservative path.

They will clash with such promising stakes debutantes as Aubby K and Bet to Win.

The Larry Jones-trained Believe You Can has won three in a row since dropping

her debut. Last time out, the Brereton Jones homebred rolled to a 2 1/2-length

decision in the Grade 3 Tempted Stakes sprinting six furlongs at Belmont Park.

Regular rider Gabriel Saez will be back aboard as she steps up in trip while

sticking to one turn.

Glinda the Good was no match for unbeaten Spinaway star Grace Hall in the

Blue Hen Stakes last time, but she was best of the rest and could compliment her

conqueror ahead of the Juvenile Fillies. Two starts back, Glinda the Good scored

in a productive Monmouth maiden for Steve Asmussen.

Rounding out those with stakes experience is Taxi Dancer, who just finished

second in the restricted Maryland Million Lassie.

Among the stakes debutantes, Bet to Win has swept her two career starts by a

combined 14 1/2 lengths. The James DiVito filly crushed her opposition at

Arlington and Keeneland, but must transfer her form to dirt while stepping up in

class. Woodbine shipper Golden History, a commanding debut winner for Mark Casse,

faces a similar test.

Aubby K is already proven on dirt, having turned in a 15 1/2-length

demolition job at first asking at Belmont. Bet down to even-money favoritism

that day, the well-bred daughter of Street Sense used her early speed to burn

off her rivals, and the Ralph Nicks pupil aims to keep progressing.

Two races earlier in the Iroquois, the Brereton Jones/Larry Jones tandem will

be represented by the improving Mr. Bowling, who makes his first start away from

Delaware Park. After breaking his maiden second time out at six furlongs, Mr.

Bowling stretched out to two turns in the Dover Stakes and romped by 7 1/4

lengths. He will shorten up to a one-turn mile at Churchill, where his freshman

sire Istan scored a dazzling victory in the 2007 Ack Ack at the same distance.

Mr. Bowling, drawn widest of all in post 7, picks up the services of Rajiv

Maragh.

Seven Lively Sins punched his ticket to stakes company with a front-running

maiden win at Keeneland. The Al Stall Jr. pupil looms as the likely pacesetter

beneath a returning Julien Leparoux.

The remaining five have all been dismissed in their prior stakes attempts.

Motor City, a decent third in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity, was a

non-threatening eighth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity. The Ellis Park maiden

winner could show more while reverting to dirt for Ian Wilkes.

Fine was a trounced second in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile, 13 1/4 lengths

behind Breeders' Cup-bound Hansen. Hollywood Script was beaten more than twice

that margin when sixth, but the well-related colt has been training forwardly of

late.

Purely Determined argued the pace in the Garden State Stakes before

retreating to third, 6 1/4 lengths adrift of Juvenile pre-entrant Sabercat.

The highly-tried Chalybeate Springs has run fifth in all five starts, ranging

from maiden races to the Grade 3 Bashford Manor on the Churchill dirt and the

Grade 3 Bourbon on the Keeneland turf. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas

reaches for the blinkers in an effort to wake the nicely-bred colt up.