SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- When Street Sense hit the top of the stretch in the $1 million Travers Stakes, it looked like the race was over.
It was just beginning.
Instead of pulling away from his less-than accomplished rivals, Street Sense found himself hooked up in a stretchlong duel with Grasshopper before prevailing by a half-length on a hot and steamy Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
The Kentucky Derby winner has lost his share of close calls -- the Preakness by a head, the Blue Grass by a nose -- but this time he came through after giving trainer Carl Nafzger a few anxious moments.
"He nearly always will finish when he's hooked up eyeball to eyeball, but when he gets about a length in front he pricks his ears," Nafzger said. "Grasshopper didn't give him a chance to prick his ears today."
Despite the absence of his toughest rivals -- Preakness winner Curlin, Haskell winner Any Given Saturday and Derby runner-up Hard Spun -- Street Sense needed his best effort to beat a horse running in his first stakes race.
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| Street Sense (left) pulls ahead of Grasshopper for the win. (AP) |
As the horses crossed the finish line, Borel and Albarado banged fists to congratulate each other. It was Albarado who rode Curlin to victory over Borel and Street Sense in the Preakness.
"They're always hooked up," Nafzger said. "They're really good friends."
Added Neil Howard, who trains Grasshopper: "Street Sense is unbelievable. We were thrilled. It was a great effort. We got beat by an unbelievable horse."
The crowd of 38,909 cheered on Street Sense in the stretch, and cheered even louder when Borel led him into the winner's circle.
"I loved the way the fans loved Street Sense here," Nafzger said. "Thank you, New York. I was a lot more nervous today because you really don't want to let people down."
Nafzger is considering four races for Street Sense's next start, the Massachusetts Handicap on Sept. 22, the Hawthorne Gold Cup and the Kentucky Cup Classic, both Sept. 29, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 30.
