Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Kentucky Derby to Street Sense

May 5, 2007

The best 2-year-old on the first Saturday in November proved the best 3-year-old on the first Saturday in May, as Street Sense became the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner to capture the Kentucky Derby in the 133rd Derby at Churchill Downs.

Street Sense also became the first 2-year-old champion to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979. Street Sense's trainer, Carl Nafzger, was winning the Derby for the second time, following Unbridled in 1990. His jockey, Calvin Borel, scored his first Derby victory, as did Jim Tafel, who bred and owns Street Sense.

Street Sense was 19th of 20 as the field moved around the first turn, but under a textbook ride from Borel, he hugged the rail down the backstretch, split horses with a quarter-mile remaining, and ran down the loose front-runner, Hard Spun, to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Hard Spun was 5 3/4 lengths clear of Curlin, who finished third while suffering his first career loss.

Imawildandcrazyguy was fourth and was followed, in order, by Sedgefield, Circular Quay, Tiago, Any Given Saturday, Sam P., Nobiz Like Shobiz, Dominican, Zanjero, Great Hunter, Liquidity, Bwana Bull, Storm in May, Teuflesberg, Scat Daddy, Stormello, and Cowtown Cat.

Street Sense ($11.80) became the highest-priced favorite to win the Derby. He completed 1 1/4 miles on the fast main track in 2:02.17. He earned $1,450,000 from a gross purse of $2,210,000. He has now won 4 times in 8 lifetime starts.

A crowd of 156,635, the third-largest in history, attended the Derby, including Queen Elizabeth II of England.

StreetSense

Street Sense

The Meadowlands sets Derby Wagering Record
A daytime crowd of 11,885 wagered a record $1.64 million on the 2007 Kentucky Derby simulcast at the Meadowlands.

The New Jersey Sports & Exposition [NJSEA] tracks of the Meadowlands [$1,643,783] and Monmouth Park [$829,361] bet $2,473,144 million on the 133rd Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs, which was won by Street Sense. Another $267,391 was bet through New Jersey Account Wagering, of which $233,110 was via internet and $34,281 by phone.

The $1,643,783 wagered at the Meadowlands was a track record pool for the Kentucky Derby, surpassing $1,611,543 handled in 2006. The New Jersey Account Wagering handle of $267,393 marked a 20 percent increase over the $222,065 wagered in 2006.

Statewide, a total of $3,569,696 was wagered on the 2007 Kentucky Derby with an additional $540,530 bet at Freehold, $102,779 at Atlantic City Racecourse and $185,852 at the new off-track wagering facility in Vineland.