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Associated Press 17y

Street Sense takes Tampa Bay Derby, barely

OLDSMAR, Fla. -- The wait was worth it.

Finally making his 3-year-old debut, Street Sense gamely held
off Any Given Saturday at the finish and won the $300,000 Tampa Bay
Derby on Saturday.

The victory reaffirmed that Street Sense just may be the horse
to beat in the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

In his first start since romping to a 10-length win in the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4, Street Sense rallied from fourth
around the final turn to move into the lead along the rail.

Unlike his runaway win in the Juvenile, Street Sense couldn't
pull away from Any Given Saturday, one of several Derby hopefuls
trained by Todd Pletcher.

The two colts dueled in the stretch before Street Sense put his
nose in front at the wire for his third win in six career starts
for trainer Carl Nafzger.

"I'd love to win by a half length," Nafzger said. "But a neck
is OK, a head, a nose."

Street Sense, ridden by Calvin Borel, covered the 1 1-16 miles
in track record 1:43.11, and returned $4.40, $2.40 and $2.10 as the
6-5 second choice. Any Given Saturday, with John Velazquez aboard
the 3-5 favorite, returned $2.20 and $2.10. Delightful Kiss paid
$2.10 to show.

Nafzger, who won the 1990 Derby with Unbridled, said he wasn't
concerned about Street Smart's four-month layoff.

"The only thing I said to Calvin was 'You read the pace, you
ride your race, but don't leave him too much to do at the head of
the lane,' because I knew if we had to do a lot we'd come up
short," Nafzger said.

Most Distinguished was fourth, followed by All I Can Get,
Optimistic Steve and Lisselan Muse.

Street Sense, the 2-year-old champion, will be bucking the odds
if he makes it to the Derby. The son of Street Cry, who earned
$180,000 for owner James Tafel, will run in one more Derby prep --
the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 14.

The last Derby winner with just two starts at 3 was Sunny's Halo
in 1983. Before that it was Jet's Pilot in 1947. Street Sense also
would be attempting to break a Breeders' Cup jinx -- no Juvenile
winner has gone on to take the Derby.

Any Given Saturday came into the race off a victory in the Sam
F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 17, and Pletcher was hoping for
a solid effort from the colt owned by WinStar Farm.

It was a "trip we wanted," Pletcher said. "I didn't think
(the rail) was necessarily the great place to be. We got in the
position we wanted. What can you say? We got beat a nose to a very
good horse."

Any Given Saturday, a son of Distorted Humor, may run next in
the Blue Grass, where he would get another shot at Street Sense.

In earlier races, Pletcher and Velazquez teamed up for two wins
before a track-record crowd of 10,593: Cassydora ($4.80) took the
Hillsborough Stakes for older fillies and mares; and Cotton Blossom
won the Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

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