Street Sense Roars; Ravel Out

Carl Nafzger trained Street Sense has grabbed the top spot in Kentucky Derby graded stakes earnings eligibility. Injury eliminated Todd Pletcher's Ravel from the chase.

Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. l) champion Street Sense, trained by Carl Nafzger for owner James B. Tafel, has taken over the top spot in graded stakes earnings. Graded stakes income determine the twenty entries and alternates for the Kentucky Derby on May 5. After his victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. lll) March 17, Street Sense's earnings roared to $1,332,000.

That total bests the winnings of Dreaming of Anna, a filly who has been the 2007 leader thus far. Dreaming of Anna's graded race earnings are at $1,225,040. The filly is 2006's champion two-year-old.

With the earnings title and a 2007 debut victory, Street Sense is currently in the driver's seat for the chase to the Triple Crown races, beginning with the Kentucky Derby. Stakes are graded as events for the quality of previous winners and the importance of the particular event's influence on other races and championships. Grades are l, ll, and lll, with l being the top grade. The American Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes are all graded l races, known as classics, races for three-year-olds only. Entrants are usually male, but throughout history some females have run with the boys, and won a number of the classics.

Pletcher's Circular Quay best Earner

In third place in graded stakes earnings this season is one of Todd Pletcher's remaining four Triple Crown top ten nominees, Circular Quay. His earnings are $1,116,134. In the $700,000 category are Holy Roman Emperor from Ireland, No. 4 in earnings, followed by No.5, Great Hunter, and No.6, Scat Daddy.

With earnings of $637,000, Birdbirdistheword holds down the No.7 slot. Stormello is No.8, with $582,900 in earnings. Rags to Riches, another filly, is No.9, with income of $330,000. Close behind at No.10 is Nobiz Like Shobiz. He stands at $328,500.

No.11 through No.16 are in the $200,000 in winnings range. They are: Notional, King of the Roxy, Romance is Diane, Xchanger, Tiz Wonderful, and Pirates Deputy.

Bunched in the $100,000 to $199,000 group (in descending order) are Kirklees (another Irelander), Mount Nelson (Great Britain), Curlin, Officer Rocket (Great Britain), Cobalt Blue, Horse Greeley, Admiralofthefleet, Cowtown Cat, Skip Code, Zanjero, Ketchikan, Liquidity, Adore the Gold, Bwana Bull, and Any Given Saturday.

This descending order list includes all Triple Crown nominees, regardless of their current rankings.

Injury Puts Ravel out of Derby

Off the Triple Crown trail with injury are Tiz Wonderful (tendon), a Tiznow progeny trained by Steve Asmussen; Buffalo Man, a Cam Gamolati trained colt (ankle); and one of Todd Pletcher's top five, Ravel. A nuclear scan revealed a small fracture in Ravel's left front cannon bone. He is expected to recover, but is out of the racing wars for at least three months.

If you were counting on a Pletcher Derby victory, finally, since he has been training five of the top ten rated colts, hold the betting phone. Pletcher now has four colts in training, with six weeks to go to Derby day. It's an ever changing picture.