Again, the Crown Doesn't Fit
by Dark Star
Street Sense is the third straight Kentucky Derby
champion not to win the Preakness. Six of the past 11,
and 10 since Affirmed in 1978, had a shot at becoming
the 12th Triple Crown winner. All have failed in Baltimore.
Saturday's classic had more story lines in the race, and
some before, to fill a book on the middle race of the
Triple Crown series.
Did the weather play a part? What was the effect of the
turf disaster two races before the Preakness was run?
Did speed spoil it for Hard Spun and was jockey
judgment a critical factor?
Just how many goggles should a jockey have in
reserve for a very clumpy track soaked by rain in the
final hour before post time?
Curlin's photo finish victory Saturday was a stunningly
brilliant performance. The colt had come into the Triple
Crown series with a lack of experience that figured to be
beyond his capability. And history was not on his side.
Looking back, Curlin had a rough trip in the Kentucky
Derby that might have taken a toll even on a seasoned
thoroughbred. At Pimlico he appeared to be hopelessly
beaten in mid-stretch when he unleashed a powerful
acceleration in the final yards rarely exhibited in classic
stakes races to take the crystal vase.
Street Sense proved again that he may indeed be the
class of his generation. Again as he did in the Derby,
jockey Calvin Borel held him back well off the pace in
the early going. And again at Pimlico he demonstrated
an explosive gear blowing by the field and catching
the lumbering Hard Spun and the frisky Curlin to take
what looked to be a commanding lead.
What did the impact of running out of goggles play for
Calvin Borel with horses still in front of him heading
down the home stretch? He carried a rack of five and
apparently needed six to finish the race. Having to
squint the final yards may have cost him the vision he
needed to notice Curlin coming back to challenge. He
appeared to be coasting when he needed to be driving
toward the wire only to lose in the final stride.
How much did the weather play a part in this 132nd
Preakness Stakes? It was a mild day in the low 70s at
track side when the clouds rolled in and unleashed
some serious sprinkles that seemed to have an adverse
affect on the track condition. Two races before the
running of the Preakness, over on the turf course it was
a disaster of the worst kind.
Mending Fences broke down in the early stages of the
Dixie Turf Stakes and Curlin's jockey Robby Albarado
aboard Einstein stumbled over the downed horse and
fell to the track. A ghastly buzz went through the in-field
as Albarado was taken to the ambulance, but reappeared
shortly reporting to be fine and ready to ride again. The
fallen horse was euthanized on the track with a
broken ankle.
One can watch hundreds of races at every level of the
sport without seeing a horse do the things that Curlin did
in the last half mile of the Preakness. He stumbled a bit
at the start and was unhurried in the early stages while
moving to the inside.
He angled out leaving the first turn and again was un-
hurried while being four wide along the back stretch.
Curlin closed the gap from far outside leaving the far turn
and circled five wide to reach contention approaching the
quarter pole.
Continuing to lag lightly behind Street Sense in the upper
stretch who had come from 8th to blow by the field to take
the lead, Curlin dug in under strong urging nearing the 8th
pole. Then he battled back gamely under right-hand
encouragement to get up in the final stride. An amazing
performance.
So what happened to Hard Spun, my personal pick to take
the Preakness Stakes? As Xchanger and Flying First Class
ran each other into the ground, Hard Spun appeared to be
in a perfect position, sitting in third place stalking the leaders.
But Mario Pino made an ill-judged premature move to fly past
them as his mount reached the 6 furlong mark in 1 minute
9.8 seconds - one of the fastest fractions ever in the Preakness.
Hard Spun would soon be proven burned out in the stretch run.
The stage was set for the top two betting choices, Street Sense
and Curlin, to make their moves.
Curlin with the urging of Robby Albarado made the first move
charging past the tiring Hard Spun. But then Calvin Borel drove
Street Sense inside Curlin and shot past him opening a lead
of nearly two lengths. "I thought I was home free" Borel said.
Indeed, the Preakness appeared to be over, horses almost
never re-rally after being passed so decisively. In a matter of
minutes the racing world was going to be speculating about
the prospects of Street Sense sweeping the Triple Crown.
But Curlin wasn't finished. "He has that way about him that
he just wants to win" Albarado said. And the rest is history,
or is it?
With the same three horses dominating the first two legs of
the 2007 Triple Crown campaign, the Belmont promises to be
a stage of epic proportions. Will it be evidence for Street
Sense to claim future horse of the year honors? Or will Curlin
stake his claim to fame? At a mile and a half what will become
of Hard Spun?
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Exclusive for The Diamond Eagle by Dark Star
