The Hard Spun-Street Sense Preakness Rivalry

The Hard Spun-Street Sense rivalry is set to continue beyond the backstretch of the Kentucky Derby and on to the Pimlico Race Course for the Preakness Stakes.

Both horses will be in the field for the 132nd running of Maryland’s $1-million event and Hard Spun’s trainers figure he’s well suited to knock jockey Calvin Morel and trainer Carl Nafzger off their high horse and win this event.

“We have may to do something different here if we are going to spoil (Street Sense’s) Triple Crown,” says Larry Jones. “I like Carl a lot but I don’t intend for him to have the Triple Crown.”

Jones actually considered skipping the Kentucky Derby to have Hard Spun focus specifically on this leg of the Triple Crown.

“We just felt like the way this horse had trained on surfaces similar to Pimlico, we were not expecting to handle the Churchill surface as well as he did,” says Jones. “(But) he rode the picture perfect ride that’s supposed to win the Derby. That’s one reason we opted to be there. Plus that’s my horse, he’s got that high cruising speed to set out there and do that. We thought we did everything it took to win the race.”

Hard Spun was a 12/1 shot to win the Derby and led the entire race before being overtaken by pre-race betting favorite Street Sense on the backstretch to finish second by 2 ½ lengths.

The Preakness Stakes runs on Saturday May 19th.

Technorati tag(s): pimlico