Classic Diary

Street Sense would lock-up Horse of the Year honors with the Classic win (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

1st -- STREET SENSE (Street Cry [Ire]) is training great for his

career finale. After breezing five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 at Monmouth Park on

Tuesday, with each eighth faster than the previous, he galloped out the next

eighth in :11 1/5, easing up through a quarter-mile in :24 1/5. Carl Nafzger has

him razor-sharp.

The dark bay is two-for-two at 1 1/4 miles, earning a 108 BRIS Speed rating

for his Derby score and a 111 for the Travers S. (G1), and he prepped over

Polytrack for the Breeders' Cup, finishing second in the September 29 Kentucky

Cup Classic (G2). Nafzger used a third in last year's Breeders' Futurity (G1),

over the Polytrack at Keeneland, to set-up Street Sense for a whirlwind

10-length romp in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), and a second in this year's

Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland preceded Derby glory.

The trip will be essential for the late-running colt, with the inside

possibly the best place to be over a tiring track, and no jockey loves the rail

like Calvin Borel. He's kept Street Sense off the rail for the most part since

their scintillating Derby move at Churchill Downs, but don't be surprised to see

Street Sense saving ground on Saturday, closing powerfully up the inside on the

far turn and into the stretch.

Street Sense appears ready for the race of his life.

2nd -- ANY GIVEN SATURDAY ran the best race of his life at Monmouth,

easily handling Curlin and Hard Spun (Danzig) when recording a 4 1/2-length

decision in the Haskell Invitational S. (G1) in early August, and I'm not

counting his workmanlike victory in the Brooklyn S. (G2) last time against him.

Five of the last six Classic winners earned a declining Speed rating in their

final prep (Any Given Saturday went from a 112 to a 107), and the Todd

Pletcher-trained colt has worked well since his last start. I'm expecting a

career best from the three-year-old colt on Saturday.

The dark bay colt gave Street Sense all he could handle earlier this year

when second by a nose in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), and Any Given Saturday is a

much more formidable individual now. He owns good tactical speed and is athletic

enough to overcome trouble. A winner in his last three outings, Any Given

Saturday figures to be perfectly placed under Garrett Gomez before offering a

serious challenge for the trophy.