Graded Stakes & No.1=Street Sense
Carl Nafzger Colt Leads both Polls in Kentucky Derby Chase
Apr 13, 2007
Time is winding down, and inquiring minds want to know. Can Street Sense be the one to break the jinx of no Juvenile Champ from the Breeders' Cup ever winning the Kentucky Derby the following spring?
A James B. Tafel owned thoroughbred, Street Sense galloped circles around the competition in the 2006 Breeders' Cup, and has followed a conservative racing schedule this year to prepare for the Churchill Downs Classic in Louisville. He is ranked No.1 by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and he leads every racing challenger in graded stakes earnings.
Only twenty horses will enter the Kentucky Derby, based on descending order total graded stakes earnings. If more entries are accepted, several racers are on the bubble for consideration.
Creating the most excitement in races last weekend were Nobiz Like Shobiz, who gave a commanding, business-like performance in winning the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct; Tiago, a half brother to 2005 Derby Champ Giacomo; and Cowtown Cat, yet another Todd Pletcher trainee. Tiago blasted through traffic in the Santa Anita Derby in a lights out effort to spill King of the Roxy from the Derby Top Ten. Tiago claimed that spot this week. Cowtown Cat was as smooth as engine grease in his glide to the wire in the Illinois Derby.
Also left in the wake of those accomplishments, Any Given Saturday slipped to No.7, while Hard Spun jumped up to No.6. Cowtown Cat made the nine spot.
Left to square off as favorites on Derby Day May 5, Street Sense and Nobiz Like Shobiz hold the No.1 and No.2 positions, respectively. Seven of the top ten rated colts are next up on May 5. Street Sense and Great Hunter, ranked No.4, are due to match up Saturday at Lexington's Keeneland race course for the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, while Hard Spun is pointed to the Lexington Stakes on April 21.
All of the first ten are three-year-old colts. Here's the lowdown:
No.1 Street Sense 1 (starts) - 1 (win) - 0 (second) - 0 (third) ranking points=160
No.2 Nobiz Like Shobiz 3-2-0-1 pts=141
No.3 Scat Daddy 3-2-0-1 pts=139
No.4 Great Hunter 1-1-0-0 pts=127
No.5 Circular Quay 2-1-0-0 pts=104
No.6 Hard Spun 3-2-0-0 pts=59
No.7 Any Given Saturday 3-1-1-1 pts=51
No.8 Cowtown Cat 4-3-0-1 pts=45
No.9 Notional 3-2-1-0 pts=42
No.10 Tiago 3-2-0-0 pts=31
Three of the top ten contenders have topped the $1 million in earnings mark. Street Sense leads the money race with $1,332,000. Scat Daddy is second at $1,308,500. In third place in total earnings is Circular Quay with $1,116,134.
The Kentucky Derby will feature one of the richest and top quality contender fields in recent history.
