Never was a winner of the Kentucky Derby more grateful, or more humble than 2007's Calvin Borel. His Street Sense responded perfectly to a criticized track plan.
The Blood-Horse magazine recently scoured the history of America's Run for the Roses to name the Ten Best Kentucky Derbies of all time. The ten were chosen as much for the stories behind the horsey stars as the stars' actual two plus minutes of run time on the track.
No. 1, of course, is Secretariat. He was the horsey-est star of all, running the Derby fractions in increasingly faster times as he progressed through the 1-1/4 miles. Amazing! Unparalleled!
I would be hard put, however, not to add the name of 2007's Derby champion, Street Sense, to the Top Ten Derby worthy. His picture perfect Derby run could hurdle him toward the Horse of the Year pedestal. His Preakness was a nose less loss. If he shows up again in the Breeders' Cup to become a two-time winner of that event, he'll have a strong case for 2007 HOY.
Street Sense trained differently, he ran superbly through his preps under the game plan of veteran trainer Carl Nafzger, and he responded with astute professionalism in the Derby to the urgings of another verteran, his jockey, Calvin Borel. Placed on the rail in 19th position, Street Sense followed Borel's hands to the winner's circle, weaving through traffic like a loom threading fibers into fabric.
I don't recall a more happy, or more humble winner than Borel. Do you? The expertise of Borel's ride is forever properly pictured by the eye-popping, from-the-top-view recorded by the blimp that imprinted the race's pattern for us.
Borel's winning reactions set off our reactions for him and his mount. What a superb human, and horsey, moment!
