Mint Slewlep headed to the Preakness

Bowie-based trainer Robbie Bailes announced Wednesday that he will run MINT

SLEWLEP (Slew City Slew) in the 132nd running of the Preakness S. (G1). The bay

colt comes off a fourth-place effort in the Withers S. (G3) at Aqueduct after

winning a one-mile allowance by 4 1/2 lengths at Laurel Park. Before that, Mint

Slewlep finished fifth in the Gotham S. (G3) on the inner track at the Big A.

"We had this in the back of our mind depending on how many horses came out of

the Derby," Bailes said. "He came out of the Withers real good and we decided to

give it a shot. We always liked this colt, he is very professional. He has a lot

of ability, but we still have to find out if he is at this level. We trainers

can always find excuses if we look hard enough, but he has had hard luck and

that is why we don't know how good he really is."

Calvin Borel giving Street Sense a carrot (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) Kentucky Derby (G1) hero STREET SENSE (Street Cry [Ire]) galloped about 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, according to trainer Carl Nafzger. The owner, meanwhile, is still basking in the glory of winning the first leg of the Triple Crown. "It is a tremendous experience," said James Tafel, the owner and breeder of Street Sense. "There is nothing like it. I can't describe it -- you have to live it. It will get even better if we happen to win the Preakness." Street Sense is scheduled to travel to Pimlico next Wednesday. Calvin Borel, who will ride the colt in the Preakness, met with a group of reporters on Wednesday and proudly showed off a bruise on his left arm delivered by the dark bay. "I gave a carrot to another horse and when I went by, he liked to bit my arm off," Borel explained. "He got (ticked) off at me...I gave him his carrot, and then he was all right." Derby runner-up HARD SPUN (Danzig) jogged a half-mile and galloped a mile at Delaware Park on Wednesday. Conditioner Larry Jones, who usually can be found under a white cowboy hat, continues to be happy with the way his colt came out of the Derby.

"We're very, very pleased," Jones said. "Hard Spun went really well this

morning. We did a little bit more than we wanted to with him. He was really on

the bit."

CURLIN (Smart Strike), the third-place finisher in the Run for the Roses,

went back to the track and jogged a mile at Churchill Downs on Wednesday. A

decision of whether the morning-line favorite for the Derby will run in the

middle jewel of the Triple Crown is expected to be made in the near future.

"He went back to the track good, and I think everything will go into trying

to decipher where you're at and what you're going to do," trainer Steve Asmussen

said. "We're very pleased with the first day back at the track and I think

that's the first step in the process. Our horse's appetite has stayed good since

the Derby and all indications are that we'll see him again in some major races."

The other confirmed starters for the 1 3/16-mile classic are TEUFLESBERG (Johannesburg) and XCHANGER (Exchange

Rate), who galloped two miles at Fair Hill Training Center on Wednesday, as well

as KING OF THE ROXY (Littleexpectations),

trained by Todd Pletcher. D.

Wayne Lukas, a five-time winner of the Preakness, is expected to saddle FLYING

FIRST CLASS (Perfect Mandate) and/or STARBASE (Tale of the Cat).

Final decisions from the connections of C P WEST (Came Home) and CHELOKEE

(Cherokee Run) are expected by next Monday.