I know what you're saying, but would it have taken that much more out of him if he had just bustled Hard Spun up a little. To make him go those few strides quicker than he would prefer?

Borel got very 'busy' in the saddle in the stretch, and gave SS a few sharp smacks behind the saddle. Why get so busy late on when the race was all but lost?

I don't think Borel had the best of days today, that's all i'm saying. I could understand him laying off SS early and just doing the bar minimum to finish second, but to lay off him early and then get really serious close home when the race is lost? It just seemed a little strange.

I'm with you there.

As i said before, Borel really asked him in the closing stages, and in my opinion there was little response from the horse.

There is no doubt he will be 100 times better with a stronger gallop, but his style of racing will always make things difficult in a very good race with plenty of runners.

I thought Hard Spun would win today, but i was still disappointed with Street Sense.

he killed that horses chance by getting him buried on the rail.
the horse was full of run once he got free.

I think Nafzger would want you to do away with that god awful avatar.

Is that Balletto?

This race proved to me that SS is infected with the Perfect Drift Syndrome!

Worse.

Going into the race, I liked Street Sense's chances in the classic. I still do.
A race with a 4-horse field going 9f over the poly is about as similiar to the BCC as Cowtown Cat is to Ghostzapper.

He seems to give up all the time like Drifty always did,getting to the front or close and then the ears perk up and he just quits and doesn't give any more effort.

There are only two possible explanations.
1) He was joking.
2) He doesn't have a clue.

i don't know about that. its not easy to close at Monmouth either.

You must be joking.
Street Sense does tend to hang a bit. No question about that. He usually hangs and wins.
Perfect Drift - at least in the last years of his career - tended to hang and run second or third.
Not all hangers are created equal.

or he believes that Cat Shaker's race was good enough to head for the BC...
:D

I noticed that too!! Remember when he did it in the BC Juvi!! And then in the Tampa Bay Derby!! Oh god, can you recall that Kentucky Derby!! Phew, talk about a quitter!! He just plain threw in the towel twice at Saratoga in the Dandy and Travers!! Man, what a waste, they should just geld him and put him out to a farm!

Not joking at all.This is the Fifth race that SS weakened and lost.And in the Travers he was almost beaten and embarrassed by an allowance winner.

True, but he seems to fire on a variety of dirt tracks (CD, Pimlico, and Saratoga) in a way he simply does not on poly. I still like his chances, but I can't really say how much I like his chances until I see how Lawyer Ron handles 10f in JCGC.
A lot will of course depend - as it always does - on how the pace scenario shapes up. If there are a couple of horses in the race that will ensure a contested pace, I think Street Sense will probably be my pick.
Of course, a lot can change between now and then.