Can Borel Read Sense's Path Again?
Three Derby Runners Will Challenge Churchill Champ in Preakness
With a much smaller field, can Street Sense find his path open in the Preakness? Hard Spun, Curlin, and Circular Quay are repeaters from the Derby who will try to close.
"I can read a horse," says Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel in polite response to those who speak of his literacy shortcomings. The Cajun horseman can read his Daily Racing Form and has cashed in on $80 million in purses. He read the Derby traffic without fault, and he claims to know a happy horse when he sees one. Happy horses are winners, says the jockey who has been in the saddle from the age of two.
Street Sense, his Derby winning mount, is happy this week, Borel said.
That should just about answer any further questions. The biggest test facing Street Sense at Pimlico Race Course for the 132rd running of the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in the Triple Crown chase set for Saturday, is can he win away from Churchill? At Churchill Downs, Street Sense broke the Juvenile jinx, winning there in last fall's Breeders' Cup for two-year-olds, and again in the Derby two weeks ago.
With only nine entrants for the Preakness, and just three repeaters from the Derby, Street Sense's competition will have more customary room to make their own moves, a factor very much missing in the Derby run. The distance, 1-3/16 miles, 1/16 shorter than the Derby, favors the challengers, in particular, Hard Spun, who was the last horse Street Sense had to best on May 5.
A few changes have determined the final posts for the Preakness. The lineup is:
Post No. 1 - Mint Slewlep, 7 starts, 2 wins, 0 seconds, 1 third, 4 unplaced; jockey - Alan Garcia; trainer - Robbie Bailes; last race, 4th in the Withers Stakes
Post No. 2 - Xchanger, 8-3-0-2-3; Ramon Dominguez and Mark Shuman; last race, 1st in the Tesio Stakes
Post No. 3 - Circular Quay, 8-4-2-0-2; John Velazquez and Todd Pletcher; last race, 6th in the Derby
Post No. 4 - Curlin, 4-3-0-1-0; Robby Albarado and Steve Asmussen; last race, 3rd in the Derby
Post No. 5 - King of the Roxy, 7-3-2-0-2; Garrett Gomez and Pletcher; last race, 2nd in the Santa Anita Derby
Post No. 6 - Flying First Class, 5-2-1-0-2; Mark Guidry and D. Wayne Lukas; last race, 1st in the Derby Trial
Post No. 7 - Hard Spun, 7-5-1-0-1; Mario Pino and Larry Jones; last race, 2nd in the Derby
Post No. 8 - Street Sense, 8-4-2-2-0; Calvin Borel and Carl Nafzger; last race, 1st in the Derby
Post No. 9 - C.P. West, 5-1-3-0-1; Edgar Prado and Nick Zito; last race, 2nd in the Withers
Nick Zito and Edgar Prado, spoilers par excellent not to be looked past, would not be in this race if they thought their student didn't stand a bit of a chance. The race will not be a surprise if it brings on a much stiffer test for Street Sense in better traffic conditions.
