Street Sense bucks trend of common sense
This Kentucky Derby is all about bucking tradition.
In less than two weeks, several trainers will attempt to win the Derby having defied long-held ideas on what it takes to prepare top contenders for the race.
Street Sense is sure to be among the favorites, yet he is among four horses in this week’s final Run to the Roses’ top 10 with just two preps this year.
Conventional wisdom calls for three.
The last Derby winner with two preps as a 3-year-old was Sunny’s Halo in 1983; before that it was Jet Pilot in 1947.
Also coming into the May 5 Derby off two preps are Louisiana Derby winner Circular Quay, Robert Lewis winner Great Hunter and Blue Grass winner Dominican.
Street Sense has a lot more going against him: No Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner has gone on to take the Derby (0 for 23) and the last 2-year-old champ to win was Spectacular Bid in 1979.
Then there’s the unwritten rule that says you can’t win the Derby off a long layoff. Last year, Barbaro junked that notion when he became the first horse since Needles in 1956 to win after more than four weeks off.
Four of this week’s top 10 are in the long-layoff category: Scat Daddy and Chelokee (5 weeks); Hard Spun (6 weeks), and Circular Quay (8 weeks).
Todd Pletcher, who trains Scat Daddy and Circular Quay, says many of his horses run better with more time between races. It’s tough to argue with the nation’s leading trainer, who plans on sending out a record-equaling five Derby starters.
There’s also the unraced-as-a-2-year-old theory. Curlin, No. 4 this week behind the top three of Nobiz Like Shobiz, Scat Daddy and Street Sense, is 3 for 3 but did not run last year.
The last Derby winner unraced as a 2-year-old was Apollo in 1882, yet Curlin – off his 10 1/2 -length romp in the Arkansas Derby – might end up as the favorite on Derby day. By the way, the last horse to win the Derby with three career starts was the filly Regret in 1915.
Top 10
1, Nobiz Like Shobiz. 2, Scat Daddy. 3, Street Sense. 4, Curlin. 5, Circular Quay. 6, Any Given Saturday. 7, Hard Spun. 8, Great Hunter. 9, Chelokee. 10, Dominican.