by Steve Bailey

Say goodbye to the "Juvenile Jinx."

Jim Tafel’s homebred Street Sense became the first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner to come back as a three-year-old and win the Kentucky Derby (G1) on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The dark bay or brown Street Cry (Ire) colt out of the Dixieland Band mare Bedazzle also became the first champion two-year-old to capture the first leg of the Triple Crown since Spectacular Bid in 1979 and the first horse to win the Derby in only his third start of the year since Sunny’s Halo in 1983.

“I just want to thank my brother [Cecil] for getting me here,” said winning jockey Calvin Borel, a 40-year-old journeyman who scored the biggest victory of his 24-year career. “I wish my mother and daddy were here. This is the greatest moment of my life.”

Overcast skies and intermittent sprinkles replaced the heavy rains of the previous two days, keeping all 156,635 fans in attendance—including England’s Queen Elizabeth II—happy and dry through the nine-race undercard for the $2.21-million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands.

Hard Spun, who took command in the early moments of the race under jockey Mario Pino and led into the stretch, finished second, 2 3/4 lengths behind Street Sense and 5 3/4 lengths in front of the previously unbeaten Curlin.

“You couldn’t be happier to finish second,” said native Kentuckian Larry Jones, the trainer of Hard Spun. “He ran great, but we got beat by a super, super horse. I couldn’t be happier for Calvin.”

Street Sense covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.17 over a fast track that had been rated good just two races earlier.

“This is the aspiration of anybody and everybody in the racing business,” said Tafel, an 83-year-old retired book and magazine publisher who won his first Derby. “Last year, [traier] Carl [Nafzger] told me, ‘Jim, we’re going to win the Kentucky Derby.’ Here we are. This is a great, great moment.”

Nafzger, who won the 1990 Derby with Unbridled, never swayed in his plan to give Street Sense only two preps leading into the Derby following his dominant ten-length victory over the Churchill track in the Juvenile on November 4.

Street Sense opened the 2007 season with a nose victory over Any Given Saturday in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 17 and finished second to Dominican in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 14 in his first start on a Polytrack all-weather surface at Keeneland Race Course.

The colt did everything right in the days leading up to the Derby, keeping Nafzger relaxed and confident as the inevitable questions about bucking Derby tradition continued to be tossed his way.

“I’ve got a top horse, and he’s taken us everywhere we’ve gone,” Nafzger said. “Man, he’s taken us on a trip. This horse has never run a bad race. We have all the faith in the world in this horse, and I can’t say enough about him.

“Seventeen years ago was unbelievable. Any time you win the Derby, you’re crazy. You’re having a ball. I guess I can finally afford to retire now.”

Hard Spun broke sharply and quickly took command, leading the field through a half-mile in :46.26 and six furlongs in 1:11.13 with Cowtown Cat and Teuflesberg in pursuit.

Meanwhile, Borel and Street Sense backed off the pace and ran 19th of 20 on the backstretch before moving to the rail and easing up through the field as the leaders hit the far turn.

Showing his trademark turn of foot, Street Sense swung off the rail and took dead aim on Hard Spun, seizing command at the eighth pole and driving powerfully to the wire.

Calvin Borel celebrates after winning his first Kentucky Derby Photo by Z/Amy Wallot

“It was wide open,” Borel said. “The horses were getting tired and started to come back to us, so I felt pretty good about our chances. When I saw we were clear with just one horse in front, I knew this was going to be the day for us.”

An emotional Borel stood straight up on the horse’s back as his horse crossed the wire and thrust his hands into the air in exaltation as several members of the jockey colony rode by to give him a high five or clap him on the back.

“This means everything,” he said. “This is an incredible horse and I’m so thankful I’ve been given this opportunity.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who was winless with 14 previous Derby starters but had a record-tying five entered in this year’s race, returned to the barn for the eighth consecutive year without the traditional blanket of roses.

Pletcher’s best finisher was Circular Quay in sixth, followed by Any Given Saturday (eighth), Sam P. (ninth), Scat Daddy (18th), and Cowtown Cat (20th).

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times