Contenders

Carl Nafzger

Nafzger, born August 29, 1941 in Plainview, Texas, will be forever remembered for his touching stretch call made to Mrs. Genter of Unbridled's win in the 1990 Kentucky Derby. Nafzger's roots actually go back to the rodeo circuit, something he picked up on through his father's cattle operation. Carl was one of the top rodeo riders in the world in the mid-1960s before taking out his Thoroughbred training license in 1968. Learning closely from the legendary John Nerud, Nafzger eventually rose through the ranks to become the 1990 Eclispe Award winning trainer. Unbridled also won the Breeders' Cup Classic the same year. Nafzger has had one Derby starter in addition to Unbridled; Vicar was 18th in 1999. In recent years, Nafzger has turned over the bulk of his stable to long-time assistant Ian Wilkes, but still retains a few horses in his own name.

Calvin Borel

Forty-year-old Calvin Borel finished 2006 ranked in the top 30 riders nationally, with earnings of more than $6.4 million. Like many Louisiana born riders, Borel began his career very early, riding match races by age 10, and became a licensed rider at16. His brother Cecil is a trainer. Calvin rides on the Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana circuit. He has won over 4,000 races, topped by Street Sense's Breeders' Cup win. Other top mounts have included Seek Gold, Suave, Court Folly (for Nafzger), Rockamundo, and Ermine. He has not hit the board in four Derby starts.

James B. Tafel LLC

Tafel, who has been partnered with Nafzger for some time, got involved with racing some 20 years ago when joining as a partner with Dogwood Stable's Cot Campbell. Tafel has been active at public auction since that time, buying for racing as well as keeping his best mares for breeding. His mares are kept at a few different Kentucky farms, and bred with the primary intent to race the offspring. To date, Tafel's top horse has been Banshee Breeze, runner-up in the 1998 Kentucky Oaks and champion 3-year-old filly the same year. Other stakes winners include Vicar (his lone Derby starter), Coolawin, Metfield and Binalong.

James B. Tafel (KY)

Tafel, who has been partnered with Nafzger for some time, got involved with racing some 20 years ago when joining as a partner with Dogwood Stable's Cot Campbell. Tafel has been active at public auction since that time, buying for racing as well as keeping his best mares for breeding. His mares are kept at a few different Kentucky farms, and bred with the primary intent to race the offspring. To date, Tafel's top horse has been Banshee Breeze, runner-up in the 1998 Kentucky Oaks and champion 3-year-old filly the same year. Other stakes winners include Vicar (his lone Derby starter), Coolawin, Metfield and Binalong.

STREET SENSE hails from the Irish-bred Street Cry, Timeform's highest rated horse in the world in 2002. That 4-year-old season saw him win the Dubai World Cup (GI), the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI) and finish second in the Whitney Handicap (GI). He actually began his career in California, winning the Norfolk (GII) before finishing third in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) at Churchill Downs. Retired after his 4-year-old season, the Goldophin bred earned over $5.1 million for his owner/breeder. The son of Machiavellian stands at Jonabell for Darley America. Street Cry is very well bred himself. His sire was a European champion 2-year-old and his dam, Helen Street, was champion Irish 3-year-old. Through his dam, Street Cry is closely related to multiple Group One winner Shamardal. Though he is a grandson of Mr. Prospector, the presence of classic distance influences Halo and Riverman in his fourth generation give him a nice balance of speed and stamina. With his first crop hitting the track in 2006, Street Sense made Street Cry the leading first-crop sire for the year. In addition, he had three other stakes winners in 2006, led by English Group Three winner Big Timer.

The homebred Street Sense is out of Tafel's mare Bedazzle, also trained by Nafzger. Primarily a sprinter, Bedazzle scored three of her four wins at Churchill Downs, bankrolling nearly $200K in her 22 career starts. Retired at the end of 2002, Street Sense is her first foal. She is a half-sister to another Nafzger trainee in Binalegend, himself a stakes winner at age five. Street Sense's tail female line is populated with sprinter types, which is curious with presence of distance influences Reviewer and His Majesty as well. Street Sense has the distinction of being inbred 5x4 to the blue hen mare Natalma, dam of Northern Dancer and seven other stakes winners/placed horses. Interestingly, however, it is not through Northern Dancer in both cases, but through her daughter and also noted producer Raise the Standard on the male side. Dosage Index: 2.14. - by Mark Hoard

Despite his distinction of being the second choice on the morning-line, there is reason to believe that STREET SENSE will go off as the post-time favorite for the race. Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) winner and champion 2-year-old has done little wrong in his 3-year-old season. He made his seasonal bow with a gut-wrenching nose victory over Any Given Saturday in the Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 3) before finishing second by just a nose in an oddly run edition of the Toyota Blue Grass (Grade 1). Since that effort he has posted two sharp works over the Churchill Downs strip. He seems to have grown physically and mentally from last year and his trainer, Carl Nafzger, seems to be coming into the race full of confidence. He obviously possesses an immense amount of talent, which he put on display by decimating the Breeders' Cup Juvenile field by a record 10-lengths. While he may not benefit from the "Yumfecta" bonus in this year's Kentucky Derby by winning the race by a larger margin than Barbaro did last year, it is easy to endorse him as the most likely candidate to wear roses this year.