Street Sense, the 9-2 favorite in a field of 20 3-year-olds, threaded up the rail and rallied from 19th place under jockey Calvin Borel, going wide in the stretch to pass the pacesetting Hard Spun and draw away to a 2 ¼-length victory in the 133rd running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Watching was H.M. Queen Elizabeth II who attended the Kentucky Derby for the first time.
The Louisville Courier-Journal reports:
After all the discussion about the fast-moving trend toward synthetic racetracks, the first five finishers of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby had their final pre-race workouts at Churchill Downs. For years many Derby trainers couldn’t get to Churchill soon enough. But this field was notable for how many horses stayed at Keeneland to train over its new Polytrack surface. Those included four of the five horses trained by Todd Pletcher and Doug O’Neill’s pair. Two other horses had their final works at Hollywood Park’s synthetic Cushion Track surface.
The BloodHorse reports:
When Street Sense moves on to Pimlico Race Course for the May 19 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), the Carl Nafzger-trained colt is likely to face only a few of the 19 horses he defeated in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.As of Sunday morning, the only Derby starter confirmed for Pimlico was runner-up Hard Spun, who made the lead before being passed by the eventual winner in the stretch. Trainer Larry Jones said the Danzig colt would leave Churchill Downs Monday for his base at Delaware Park, Maryland.
Street Sense, a dark bay, is the first Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner to win the Kentucky Derby. No Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winnner has taken a race since Spectacular Bid.
Photo credit: Street Sense by Gary Jones/AP
Tuesday's Horse 