Street Sense faces five in Jim Dandy

Street Sense returns in the Jim Dandy (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com) Kentucky Derby (G1) hero STREET SENSE (Street Cry [Ire]), who was just caught by Curlin (Smart Strike) in the last stride of the Preakness S. (G1), will return from his two-month freshening in Sunday's $500,000 Jim Dandy S. (G2) at Saratoga. Last year's juvenile champion will square off against five opponents in the nine-furlong test, the Spa's traditional prep for the $1 million Travers S. (G1) on August 25. After Street Sense's Triple Crown bid was foiled at Pimlico, trainer Carl Nafzger opted to skip the June 9 Belmont S. (G1) and give the dark bay time to regroup for the second half of the year. "The decision wasn't easy, but the decision was made to end our spring campaign in the Preakness and begin our fall campaign at Saratoga," Nafzger said. "He's really enjoyed the last couple of months. The thing was the timing. We felt that he had done everything we wanted him to do. If we ran him in the Belmont, that might have thrown us off on what we'd like to achieve, like winning the Travers." Since returning to the worktab in late June, Street Sense has posted six drills, including a blistering five-furlong move in :57 2/5 at Churchill Downs on July 19. He will carry the top weight of 123 pounds on Sunday, along with regular pilot Calvin Borel, as he leaves the gate from post 3.

Street Sense's most intriguing challenger is unbeaten TIZ WONDERFUL (Tiznow),

who will make his belated three-year-old debut for Steve Asmussen. A smashing,

12 1/2-length maiden winner at Saratoga, the bay romped by 6 3/4 lengths in the

Iroquois S. (G3) and then displayed terrific resolve to capture the Kentucky

Jockey Club S. (G2) by a half-length.

That form has strong connections to Street Sense. The Kentucky Jockey Club runner-up,

Any Given Saturday (Distorted Humor), would come within inches of upsetting

Street Sense in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), while the Kentucky Jockey Club third-placer,

Dominican (El Corredor), nipped Street Sense at the wire in the Blue Grass S.

(G1).

Tiz Wonderful's Triple Crown ambitions were derailed by tendon problems over

the winter, but he hasn't missed a beat since resuming serious training.

"He's an extremely talented horse," Asmussen said. "The Jim Dandy is awfully

deep water for him coming back off a layoff. The main thing with him is his

soundness and him doing well up here last year has everything to do with why

he's running back here. We feel that if he has any shot in the Travers, which

his ability warrants, this is the only prep to put him in this position."

John Velazquez, who rode Tiz Wonderful to victory in the Kentucky Jockey

Club, will reunite with him at the Spa.

Horseman Shug McGaughey is also hopeful of a good showing from the

later-developing SIGHTSEEING (Pulpit). The Phipps Stable homebred rallied

strongly to finish second in the Wood Memorial S. (G1) going two turns at

Aqueduct. Next time out, in the one-turn Peter Pan S. (G2) at Belmont,

Sightseeing ran greenly but got up in the nick of time in the 1 1/8-mile affair.

He wasn't able to duplicate that effort when shortening up to 1 1/16 miles in

the Dwyer S. (G2), winding up a distant third, but McGaughey forecasts

improvement in the Jim Dandy.

"I'm looking forward to this," McGaughey said. "He shipped up here well, and

he worked well here. We've been looking for two turns, and we're going to get

it. I think he's more mature now than he was the last time he went two turns (in

the Wood)."

The trainer added that Sightseeing's closing style suits the way the track is

playing.

"If we get an off track, that isn't going to hurt us either," McGaughey

added.

Conditioner Nick Zito will saddle Grade 2-placed C P WEST (Came Home).

Runner-up in the Withers S. (G3) in April, the dark bay made a bold move in the

Preakness before diminishing to fourth, and he tired to fifth after setting the

pace in the Belmont.

The Todd Pletcher-trained COWTOWN CAT (Distorted Humor) garnered the Gotham

S. (G3) and Illinois Derby (G2), but he finished a tailed-off last in the Run

for the Roses. In his only subsequent start, he checked in a disappointing

fourth in the Ohio Derby (G2).

FLASHSTORM (Storm Cat) is the likely pacesetter. Since fading to last of six

in the Wood Memorial, the D. Wayne Lukas pupil has turned things around. The bay

battled back to defeat older foes in a Churchill allowance, and last time out,

he yielded grudgingly when runner-up in the Iowa Derby.

With Edgar Prado in the irons, Sightseeing will lead the post parade beneath

a 121-pound impost. Next will come Flashstorm, Shaun Bridgmohan, 115; Street

Sense; Cowtown Cat, Garrett Gomez, 121; Tiz Wonderful, 119; and C P West,

Cornelio Velasquez, 115.