Horse Racing News
Street Sense full out to win Travers Stakes
Aug 27, 2007, 16:45 GMT
Saratoga Springs, NY - Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense out-fought Grasshopper to win Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. With the victory Street Sense becomes the 10th horse to win the 'Run for the Roses' and the 'Mid-Summer Derby' double. Thunder Gulch was the last to do it in 1995.
Street Sense, trained by Carl Nafzger, was sent off as the 1-5 favorite in the seven horse field. Grasshopper set the pace around the first turn and into the backstretch followed by C P West, Street Sense and For You Reppo.
The horses maintained their positions up the backstretch as the favorite was unusually close to the pace. Street Sense, with rider Calvin Borel, did not move to the leader until midway on the final turn.
Street Sense hooked up with Grasshopper coming off the turn into the stretch. The two colts raced as one down the stretch. Street Sense was on the outside of Grasshopper, who was ridden by Robby Albarado.
It was not until the very deep stretch that Street Sense took the lead and hit the wire a half-length in front of Grasshopper. Longshot Helsinki finished third followed by Sightseeing, C P West, Loose Leaf and For You Reppo.
The time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:02.69.
'When you run in the Travers, you have to run hard because they don't give away Grade 1 races,' Nafzger. 'You don't do anything different than you would have done.'
Owned by James Tafel, Street Sense has now won six of 11 career starts, and adds $600,000 to his bankroll. The three-year-old has earned more than $4 million in a career that includes wins in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Jim Dandy Stakes.
Nafzger plans to run Street Sense in Belmont Park's $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 30 and finally, the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on October 27. Tafel and Nafzger registered their second Travers victory, they won it in 2000 with Unshaded.
'He's always done everything good,' Nafzger said about his colt. 'He's always been a natural. He's always had a great mind.'
Nafzger and Borel combined to win last week's Alabama Stakes for three-year- old fillies with Lady Joanne.
Street Sense returned $2.70, $2.20 and $2.10. Grasshopper paid $4.60 and $3.80, and Helsinki paid $7.80 to show.
In the supporting $250,000 King's Bishop Stakes, Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun also needed a full effort in defeating First Defence. Hard Spun, ridden by Mario Pino, posted a 1 1/2 length victory in the seven-furlong sprint. This was the first win for Hard Spun since the Lane's End Stakes in March.
© 2007 The Sports Network
