Travers Stakes (gr. I)

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by Danzig

maybe no 'explosion' since he was trying to close into a race with not much pace. closers won't look as amazing when the leaders still have plenty of gas left. of course, yesterday he wasn't much of a closer, more of a stalker laying that close to the lead. but it's a good thing he did.

i'm not ready to award him the bcc yet. altho there aren't any real superstars in the older division, he will still face a more formidable challenge from some of them that he hasn't gotten from his own peers.

but i do think he's sealed the deal on top 3 yo.

Of course not, but to me he seems like the most likely winner at this point. His major competition will probably come from his own crop in the form of AGS and/or Curlin. Lawyer Ron is obviously a possible winner, but I still have serious doubts about his ability to get 10f.
As a fan of the sport I am starting to like Street Sense more and more. Since he has lost quite a few times we don't have to hear all of the over-the-top accolades that people showered on Discreet Cat and Bernardini last year. Street Sense is a really good - but flawed - animal. When you take a horse that is as good as he is, and mix in a tendency to hang just a little, the result can be great racing. The Tampa Bay Derby, Preakness, and Travers have all been great races and he went 2 out of 3 in those. He isn't perfect and everybody knows it, but he is a good horse that usually runs in the big races and makes them fun to watch. You can't ask for much more than that.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Of course not, but to me he seems like the most likely winner at this point. His major competition will probably come from his own crop in the form of AGS and/or Curlin. Lawyer Ron is obviously a possible winner, but I still have serious doubts about his ability to get 10f.
As a fan of the sport I am starting to like Street Sense more and more. Since he has lost quite a few times we don't have to hear all of the over-the-top accolades that people showered on Discreet Cat and Bernardini last year. Street Sense is a really good - but flawed - animal. When you take a horse that is as good as he is, and mix in a tendency to hang just a little, the result can be great racing. The Tampa Bay Derby, Preakness, and Travers have all been great races and he went 2 out of 3 in those. He isn't perfect and everybody knows it, but he is a good horse that usually runs in the big races and makes them fun to watch. You can't ask for much more than that.

i've enjoyed the show he's put on all year. i can't imagine why anyone wouldn't have. he has certainly done a lot more than many could have hoped. on his biggest days, he has truly shined. maybe he can add one more championship race to his win column. his accomplishments outshine many colts from years' past already. it would be amazing to have a 2 yo champ and bcj winner take the derby, travers, and classic in the same year.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Jim, My question for you now is, did Street Sense answer your questions about him yesterday? And I don't mean that in a smart-ass way, I am actually curious. On the one hand:
1) He had no pace to run at considering Grasshopper got clear and got the half in :48.12.
2) He didn't get his preferred rail trip at all, and was pretty wide around the first turn.
3) He was certainly out of his element being that close to the pace with so few horses in front of him.
In spite of these problems he still prevailed over what seems like a pretty good horse in Grasshopper, and beat his two Jim Dandy rivals by over 16 lengths this time.
But on the other hand, your pre-race point that he lacked the same explosion under these conditions seems to be somewhat validated by the relatively slow time for the final quarter and the fact that he didn't blow by Grasshopper.
Just curious as to how your (or anyone's) take on the horse has changed after this race...if at all.

Well he showed me something different, as that race did not fit the model that I had been talking about. I really think the race gives us an accurate untainted view of what Street Sense can do.

What surprised me? That Borel kept him in the clear in the two path, that he didn't try any rail hugging shenanigans, that he ran a more or less balanced race in terms of how his speed was rationed out. That he didn't try any big run, he just rode him confidently in the manner that I would have expected for a 2/5 favorite. It was a better race than his Jim Dandy.

I have read where some are talking the effort down a bit because all he beat was a lightly raced allowance horse. yeah right! That allowance horse is something special having never carried that weight or went that distance or competed against the best, but here he is battling to the wire with the division leader while others that were supposed to give Street Sense a tussle were out of the picture. I don't know what Grasshoppers future plans are, he has come so far so fast this year, would they consider the classic? Most people would off of a race like that but my god that is a lot to ask.

Street Sense is solid in every way, a little quirky in the stretch almost everytime, I didn't envy Albarado being in between Street Sense and the rail. You know that is going to get real tight.

Looking ahead to the Classic, I still would rate Lawyer Ron and Any Given Saturday ahead of Street Sense at this point, with Street Sense not that far back.

[Danzig]

why do you put any given saturday ahead of street sense?

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by Danzig

why do you put any given saturday ahead of street sense?

just comparing AGS's form in the Dwyer and Haskell to SS's Jim Dandy and Travers. It looks like AGS has moved forward, after his break he has come back with two eye catching scores in fast times. he is real sharp now whereas Street Sense kinda still seems to be what he has always been which is not a knock. I think Street Sense will be vulnerable in the Classic against a horse that finishes as strongly as AGS has in his last two.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

just comparing AGS's form in the Dwyer and Haskell to SS's Jim Dandy and Travers. It looks like AGS has moved forward, after his break he has come back with two eye catching scores in fast times. he is real sharp now whereas Street Sense kinda still seems to be what he has always been which is not a knock. I think Street Sense will be vulnerable in the Classic against a horse that finishes as strongly as AGS has in his last two.

ok, thanks.
on the other hand tho, every time street sense has met with saturday, hasn't he been the winner? barely in the tampa bay tho.
i think that match up is more tantalizing then sense and curlin. hope they both make it to the bcc in top form, might be one to talk about for some time to come.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by Danzig

ok, thanks.
on the other hand tho, every time street sense has met with saturday, hasn't he been the winner? barely in the tampa bay tho.
i think that match up is more tantalizing then sense and curlin. hope they both make it to the bcc in top form, might be one to talk about for some time to come.

yes Street Sense has the edge in head to head match-ups, but like I said AGS doesn't look like the same horse from the derbies, Tampa and CD. We could have a deep and competitive classic this year if they all make it in.

[Ronnie]

Its all speculation until they meet up again. I give Street Sense the edge over AGS.

[Slewbopper]

SS seems to be all out to win or place in any race not at Churchill. Give him credit...with the exception of that weird Blue Grass and the Preakness, he DOES win. AGS will get my money at Monmouth.

What's next? Personally, I think Carl should reward Calvin and send him to the Super Derby in Nawlins on Sept 22. It would be perfect spacing. If SS enters, the purse goes from 500K to a million. There are a few 3 yos that have run in the Super Derby and done very well in the BCC. Sunday, Concern, asnd Tiznow immediately come to mind.