Go Ahead...Try To Beat Him (Again)

[Uncle Buck]

I hope you guys don\'t spend too much this Saturday trying to beat Street Sense...Here\'s this morning\'s report from the Louisville Courier Journal:

Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense had the Churchill Downs backside buzzing again this morning after working five-eighths of a mile in a minute flat, his final major preparation for Saturday's 132nd Preakness Stakes in Baltimore.

 Trainer Carl Nafzger had planned on the Street Cry colt going in 1:01 or 1:02, but he was unconcerned with the faster time because he said Street Sense did it without any urging from jockey Calvin Borel.

   The work was somewhat similar to Street Sense's final work before his Kentucky Derby victory over Preakness rivals Hard Spun and Curlin. Street Sense worked in 1:01 May 1 for the May 5 Derby.

   "The horse did it without any effort," Nafzger said of today's work. "He wasn't charging the bit. He wasn't trying to work. That's his gait. He (also) was faster than I wanted before the Derby, and he's a fitter horse now. He was a very happy horse when he walked off the track this morning. I don't think he was even taking a deep breath. His eyes were just normal."

   As is the structure of Nafzger's works, Street Sense started off fairly slow, going the first quarter-mile in 25 seconds and the first three-eighths in 37. Then he picked up steam, going 48 3/5 for the half-mile and finishing his final eighth-mile in a sterling 11 2/5 seconds. The Churchill clockers caught him galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 3/5.

     "He worked super good," Borel said. "The horse is going forward every trip. Work-wise, he's still going forward, not backward."

Jennie Rees

[TGJB]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone remember how Barbaro looked and worked going into the Preakness last year?

[flushedstraight]

Haskin 2006 pre-preakness comments

[bobphilo]

According to the DRF PP\'s Barbaro had no recorded works between the Derby and Preakness. Don\'t know how significant that is since many horses don\'t work betwwen the 2 races.
I also think he was at a training facilty after the Derby and I don\'t know what kind of preperation he had there.

Bob

[flushedstraight]

Uncle Buck Wrote:
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> I hope you guys don\'t spend too much this Saturday
> trying to beat Street Sense...

Is there any evidence yet that he\'s not a Churchill freak or that he can come right back after an isolated top? I think not yet. He\'s not exactly scaring the competition away either.

[dpatent]

Good point that works, dappling, and other physical clues can\'t tell you much.  However, Barbaro was coming off a significant new top, which was reason enough to worry, regardless of how he appeared to bounce back.

I still think SS is the horse but I can\'t see how I will have a nickel anywhere on the race.

[Silver Charm]

TGJB,

Is it true you tried to beat Spectacular Bid in the Woodward.

When it was a walkover.......

[Uncle Buck]

flushedstraight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Uncle Buck Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I hope you guys don\'t spend too much this
> Saturday
> > trying to beat Street Sense...
>
> Is there any evidence yet that he\'s not a
> Churchill freak or that he can come right back
> after an isolated top? I think not yet. He\'s not
> exactly scaring the competition away either.


The answer to your first question is an emphatic \"YES.\" His Tampa Bay Downs race in March was really impressive - outgaming a wide AGS to the wire. That was a true champions effort IMO and solidified him as the nation\'s top 3 year old. He then verified my sentiments May 5th. Good luck

[high roller]

Yes, do you remember how strange he was prepared? Matz took him back to Fair Hill and turned him out for a week, then he had a few gallops over the wood chips, the horse in retrospect must have been exhausted.

[miff]

Buck,

SS had some very good racing luck/trips in the Tampa and KY Derby.His internals are better than any have shown so far, so it will be interesting to see if he can overcome a tough trip and still beat these.In fairness, lots of horses get good trips and don\'t win, you still have to fire.

Mike

[flushedstraight]

Buck,

True he showed courage and class of a champ when besting a sharp AGS at Tampa, but it doesn\'t compare to his freaky fast races at CD that will be reflected in his short odds at Pimlico. Curlin will be 3x the price and all four of his races are better than anything Street Sense has done outside of CD.

That may not mean a thing come Saturday, but it\'s jumping off the page today, especially with memories of Street Cry\'s affinity for CD still lingering.

[spa]

If you try to beat him,don\'t bet the rent money. He wins for fun. You ain\'t seen nothing yet!  Buck, it took a week,but I\'ve spent all I made on SS. Time to do it again.................

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Street Sense was easy to pick in the Derby. Truth is he was my \"Go To\" horse ever since the B.C. Juvenile. However in the big field, had the track come up slop I definitely would have made Hard Spun the Go To horse.

Had Curlin not drawn such a tough hole he would have had to be factored more forwardly.

Lastly, had Street Sense not worked like a machine at Churchill, (Not even blowing after his works), it would have been easier to take a shot at him.

As it was all conditions merged to his advantage, including the off odds.

In a sentence, Street Sense has no known advantage at Pimlico.

CtC

Uncle Buck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope you guys don\'t spend too much this Saturday
> trying to beat Street Sense...Here\'s this
> morning\'s report from the Louisville Courier
> Journal:
>
> Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense had the
> Churchill Downs backside buzzing again this
> morning after working five-eighths of a mile in a
> minute flat, his final major preparation for
> Saturday's 132nd Preakness Stakes in Baltimore.
>
>  Trainer Carl Nafzger had planned on the Street
> Cry colt going in 1:01 or 1:02, but he was
> unconcerned with the faster time because he said
> Street Sense did it without any urging from jockey
> Calvin Borel.
>
>    The work was somewhat similar to Street Sense's
> final work before his Kentucky Derby victory over
> Preakness rivals Hard Spun and Curlin. Street
> Sense worked in 1:01 May 1 for the May 5 Derby.
>
>    "The horse did it without any effort," Nafzger
> said of today's work. "He wasn't charging the bit.
> He wasn't trying to work. That's his gait. He
> (also) was faster than I wanted before the Derby,
> and he's a fitter horse now. He was a very happy
> horse when he walked off the track this morning. I
> don't think he was even taking a deep breath. His
> eyes were just normal."
>
>    As is the structure of Nafzger's works, Street
> Sense started off fairly slow, going the first
> quarter-mile in 25 seconds and the first
> three-eighths in 37. Then he picked up steam,
> going 48 3/5 for the half-mile and finishing his
> final eighth-mile in a sterling 11 2/5 seconds.
> The Churchill clockers caught him galloping out
> six furlongs in 1:12 3/5.
>
>      "He worked super good," Borel said. "The
> horse is going forward every trip. Work-wise, he's
> still going forward, not backward."
>
> Jennie Rees

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Yeah, what Jerry Said.

But Jerry, Street Sense did not start out on turf.

Street Sense ran more as a Juvenile against tougher company.

Street Sense did not miss any 3YO engagements. Nafzger\'s plan all along was two preps.

When Street Sense was pointed he didn\'t come in upon any 8 and 5 week race Gaps.

And Street Sense\'s Derby was NOT his career top and lastly....

Barbaro was not trained by a Derby and Classic winning trainer.

Checked the records and there was no post Derby work recorded for Barbaro. I did factor that at the time and forgot until bobphilo pointed it out.

TGJB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just out of curiousity, does anyone remember how
> Barbaro looked and worked going into the Preakness
> last year?

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

lol

What Jerry may be trying to say is that Street Sense wasn\'t even a full point faster than Hard Spun with a trip that you have to consider he was lucky to get. Saving ground is a wonderful technique, but sometimes the hole never opens or opens just late enough that a Tgraph point can be lost.

Just for yucks, factor the race with no bounce and Street Sense having to go around.

Jerry may sense a SS bear in last, I tend to think he gravitates towards the rail. But, one thing I\'m quite sure of. Once SS blew by, the surge definitely stopped. Kinda like Bush in Iraq.

Silver Charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TGJB,
>
> Is it true you tried to beat Spectacular Bid in
> the Woodward.
>
> When it was a walkover.......