Derby Twenty Too Crowded to Move?

Street Sense and Calvin Borel negotiated Kentucky Derby traffic to perfection while seventeen others stagnated. Curlin made a wide move. Hard Spun stayed in front.

Is a field of twenty too much for Kentucky Derby youngsters to fathom? While Street Sense, so senseful, and Calvin Borel buzzed through the traffic, the other three-year-old contenders just stayed about where they were, in low gear, with no challenging efforts.

Street Sense, so steady, so responsive, so classic, ran the rail under Borel like the promise of a carrot was at the end of the Derby lane. Borel so favors the fence type of ride that he is called Bor-Rail-el. He sure knew the fence game at Churchill Downs. In his fifth try at the Derby, with what he refers to as a push-button horse under him, Borel used the fence route to make up ground from the nineteenth position. He and Street Sense broke from the seven spot of the starting gate.

Going immediately to swerve control and the rail, Borel helped his colt stay away from the pack and move when he wanted him to. Street Sense, showing amazing schooled abililty, cruised along the rail to the front runner, Hard Spun, and easily outdueled him to the wire. The only other colt to show a definite move was Curlin. He came from thirteenth, where he lingered for most of the first mile, to get up to third.

And that was this year's Derby. A move and a half. A front runner who stayed well, but couldn't get that last drive to the wire. The twenty three-year-olds crammed together into a pack so tight that none of them seemed to have an inkling of what to do next. The Derby didn't used to be so crammed. Twenty entries puts inexperienced horses into a bind they aren't ready to handle. Ten to 12 top candidates posted for the 2007 Derby, but all of them did little to nothing to distinguish themselves in the chase for roses.

Street Sense is the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile champ to win the Derby. Street Sense is the first two-year-old champion (Eclipse Award winner) to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979. And Street Sense is the first to win the Derby on just two prep races since Sunny's Halo in 1983.

When we get back to sensible numbers of competitors in one race in the Preakness Stakes on May 19, will Street Sense still have the advantage of sensefulness? Or will we see another huge effort from Curlin, or a powerful message from Nobiz, or a consistent gallop from Scat Daddy, or a long-shot taking aim in a clearing?