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Nonetheless, six other horses will take on Street Sense in the "Mid-Summer Derby," with their trainers believing there's never a sure thing in thoroughbred racing.
Nick Zito, who won the 2004 Travers with Birdstone, will send out two horses to take on Street Sense, Jim Dandy runner-up C P West and Helsinki, fourth in the Lemon Drop Kid Stakes on Aug. 5.
"I've got a fighting chance," Zito said. "I've got two nice horses going in, and if we have a great day and Street Sense has an off one, maybe you have a chance of beating him."
Street Sense defeated C P West by 1 1/2 lengths in the Jim Dandy on July 29
-- his first start since a narrow loss to Curlin in the Preakness on May 19
-- and trainer Carl Nafzger expects his Derby winner to improve by "three to five lengths" in the 1 1/4-mile Travers.
"Like any horse coming back, he'll get fitter, he'll get more timing (in his second race back)," Nafzger said. "He's more focused."
C P West is the 5-1 second choice, with Sightseeing -- a fast-closing third in the Jim Dandy
-- at 6-1. Also entered are Loose Leaf, Grasshopper and For You Reppo.
Street Sense, who will be ridden by Calvin Borel, drew the No. 4 post position. The son of Street Cry will attempt to become the 10th horse to win the Derby and the Travers
-- the most recent being Thunder Gulch in 1995.
Nafzger and owner James Tafel are looking for their second Travers win, with Unshaded taking the Grade 1 race in 2000.
Although the goal for Street Sense remains the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at New Jersey's Monmouth Park on Oct. 27, Nafzger expects nothing less than a victory in the Travers.
"I really want to win this race," he said. "How committed am I to win this race? I'm not sleeping good at night."
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Street Sense, the 2-year-old champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, has earned more that $3.4 million.
"He's always done everything good," Nafzger said. "He's always been a natural. He's always had a great mind."
C P West, with Cornelio Velasquez aboard, leaves from the No. 2 post, while trainer Shug McGaughey's Sightseeing, with Edgar Prado riding, drew the outside No. 7 post.
Sightseeing missed the Triple Crown races, but won the Peter Pan Stakes in May. He finished strong in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy.
"I don't think it's as easy as making up 2 1/2 lengths on Street Sense," three-time Travers winner McGaughey said. "I'd expect Street Sense to improve off the Jim Dandy, too."
For Street Sense, there will be no rematch with Preakness winner Curlin, who finished third in the Haskell in his last start. Curlin is set to run next in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont on Sept. 30.
Loose Leaf, trained by Ken McPeek, won the Lemon Drop Kid Stakes, while Grasshopper won an allowance race by six lengths on July 30.
The field from the rail out is Helsinki (Julien Leparoux, 20-1), C P West (Velasquez, 5-1), For You Reppo (Garrett Gomez, 20-1), Street Sense (Borel, 3-5), Grasshopper (Robby Albarado, 8-1), Loose Leaf (Kent Desormeaux, 12-1) and Sightseeing (Prado, 6-1).
[Associated Press;
by Richard Rosenblatt]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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