Street Sense storms to Kentucky Derby triumph

Ridden by local jockey Calvin Borel, the dark bay Kentucky-bred rallied from next-to-last in the 20-horse race to wear down Hard Spun and win by 2½ lengths.

"I had an awesome horse," said Borel, winning his first Derby. "It was the chance of a lifetime. Hard work always pays off. I've always dreamed of winning this race."

Hard Spun fought gamely but did not have the strength to stay with Street Sense and finished second. Third place went to Arkansas Derby champion and previously unbeaten Curlin.

Street Sense shot through along the rail on the far turn and passed virtually the entire field before moving out to the center of the track in mid-stretch.

By the eighth pole, Street Sense had breezed by Hard Spun and charged to the finish line unchallenged. The 40-year-old Borel began celebrating during the final strides of the race.

"I just sat on him until the three-eighths pole and then I started biding my time between horses," said Borel. "I stayed on the fence until the quarter pole. I went around one horse and after that it was just a matter of how far he'd win by."

Trained by Carl Nafzger and owned and bred by James Tafel, Street Sense becomes the first two-year-old champion to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

The Street Cry colt out of Bedazzle won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by a record 10 lengths over the same Churchill Downs surface last November.

"He's the best three-year-old I've ever been on in my life," said Borel. "He'll do anything for you. He's very push-button. He'll put you on a spot where you want to be at any time.

"I really don't know how good he is. He's unbelievable."

The colt's winning time of 2:02.17 for a mile-and-a-quarter over a fast track was well off Secretariat's Derby record of 1:59.40 set in 1973.

Hard Spun jockey Mario Pino said his colt was "running easy" at the top of the stretch.

"I said, 'Let's go' and he got to running," said Pino. "But the winner came up and passed me. No disgrace. My horse ran great."

The Derby triumph was the second for Nafzger, who saddled Unbridled in 1990. Street Sense's handlers will collect $1.45 million (£727,544) of the $2.2 million (£1,103,861) purse for the victory in the field of three-year-olds.