Street Sense wins Kentucky Derby

May 5, 2007

Street Sense cruised to a 2 1/4 length victory in the 133rd Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Ridden by jockey Calvin Borel, Street Sense is the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner to capture the Kentucky Derby, and the colt is the 3rd post-time favorite in the last 7 years to win the Derby, the last two being Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000 and Smarty Jones in 2004.

The second place finisher in this year's race was Hard Spun. The colt almost got away with running the Derby with a leading position from the starting gate to the finishing wire.

Hard Spun led until the 1-mile mark when Street Sense passed him. The third place finisher, Curlin, made an attempt to be the first Kentucky Derby winner to have not raced as a 2-year-old, something not done in over 120 years plus. He also closed well enough, but could not overtake Hard Spun in the end.

Street Sense went off as the near 5-1 favorite and paid $11.80 to win. The $2 exacta (7-8) paid $101.80, the $1 trifecta (7-8-2) paid $220, and the $1 superfecta (7-8-2-5) paid $14,523.20 with longshot Imawildandcrazyguy in 4th at 28-1. The top three finishers are expected to race in the second leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing at the Preakness in Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday, May 19.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, a horse racing fan herself, was a spectator at the 133rd running of the Derby. Her visit to the U.S. also included a visit to Jamestown, Virginia for a celebration marking the 400th anniversary of colonization of the Americas. Jockey Borel has been invited to a white tie dinner at the White House on Monday with President Bush and the Queen.