Posted on 5/14/2007 7:00:26 PM

132nd Preakness Stakes Betting – Street Sense

By Robby Maddux

Saturday, Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense will showcase his talent in the second jewel of the Triple Crown in the 132nd Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. He'll be facing a smaller field than in the Derby, but there's no shortage of talent taking the gate.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Street Sense was sent off as the 9-2 favorite in the Derby and will also be the chalk in the Preakness. The win made him the first horse to win both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby, also the first horse since Spectacular Bid in 1979 to be both the two-year-old champion and the Derby winner.

Pimlico is a speed racetrack and horses with early speed will have an edge. King of the Roxy, Teuflesberg, and Mint Slewlep will show early speed. Among the three, Teuflesberg is the only horse who ran in the Derby but was a non-factor finishing 17th in a 20-horse field while fading badly.

King of the Roxy won the Grade 2 Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park in his belated seasonal debut on March 3, before finishing only a half-length behind Kentucky Derby also-ran Tiago in the Santa Anita Derby.

Mint Slewlep will be making his first start at Pimlico, but the Kentucky-bred colt has won both of his starts in Maryland, a maiden-breaker last fall and an allowance score last month, both at Laurel Park.

 

Flying First Class who didn't run in the Derby will appear in the Preakness. Both of the colt's victories in his five-race career have been in races under a mile in distance in which he set or attended the pace. He should also benefit from early speed.

Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun is also expected to be near the front in the early goings as he was in the Derby before getting overtaken by Street Sense.

Curlin, who won the first three starts of this career, finished third in the Derby, eight lengths behind the winner as the second favorite at 5-1. Unlike the expected front runners, Curlin will run off the pace and look to gobble up ground as a closer heading for home.

C P West, who didn't run in the Derby will be entered in this year's Preakness. He has run second in both his starts this season, an allowance at Gulfstream Park in March and a second in the one-mile Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct on April 28. He was a troubled sixth behind Street Sense in last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, beaten 22 lengths at Churchill Downs.

Note: The complete field for this year's Preakness Stakes will be set on Wednesday, May 16.

Keep checking the Locker Room all through the Triple Crown season, as we will cover the trainers, horses and jockeys in each race. You can get your early Kentucky Derby at Pimlico Racetrack bets in now in the BetUS sportsbook in the Future / props section, under Horse Futures: 2007 Preakness Stakes.