Churchill Downs: West Sunset leads all the way in Rags to Riches

Gary and Mary West’s homebred filly West Sunset led from start to finish in Sunday’s $200,000 Rags to Riches at Churchill Downs, easily defeating stablemate Gin Gin by 6 3/4 lengths on the sloppy, sealed, main track.

Odds-on 1-9 favorite V V’s Dream was another 2 3/4 lengths back in third in the race that was a 10-5-3-2-1 points prep for the 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Brad Cox, West Sunset ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.31 while making her two-turn debut. Previously she broke her maiden by a neck while running six furlongs at Churchill Downs in her Sept. 16 debut.

Breaking from post 4 in the compact field of five 2-year-old fillies, West Sunset was fastest out of the gate and was able to dictate a measured pace with splits of 24.23, 48.99 and 1:13.52 without any pressure. Up the backstretch, Candy Landy was about two lengths in back of the leader with Gin Gin and V V’s Dream, who walked out of the starting gate, another length behind in third and fourth, respectively.

Into the far turn, Candy Landy, Gin Gin and V V’s Dream attempted to close into West Sunset’s advantage but she had plenty of run left and spurted 5 1/2 lengths clear at the top of the stretch to widen her margin through the finish.

“It always felt like I had a lot of horse beneath me,” Prat said. “She was pretty straightforward when she left the gate, and I got her to relax a little bit on the lead. Turning for home I was confident she’d have enough left in the tank to continue strong.”

V V’s Dream, the 2-5 favorite after a September win in the Pocahontas (G2) and a second to Candied in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland 23 days ago, raced three-wide throughout and lacked a closing kick down the homestretch.

V V’s Dream was pre-entered in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita and would have been one of the favorites behind divisional leader Tamara, but her connections opted to stay in Kentucky for Sunday’s Rags to Riches.

West Sunset, at odds of 7-1, paid $17.72, $6.86 and $2.36. Gin Gin, with Florent Geroux aboard at 9-1, returned $9.12 and $2.66. V V’s Dream, with Brian Hernandez Jr. up, paid $2.10. Candy Landy was fourth, and Floored was last of five.

“Hopefully with some more seasoning this is a filly we can dream running in the Kentucky Oaks,” Cox said of West Sunset, who is a Kentucky-bred by West Coast out of the Vindication mare Vindicated Ghost.