May 5, 2007 9:00 pm US/Central
Street Sense Roars From Back To Win Kentucky Derby
Queen Elizabeth In The Stands For The Race
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (CBS) ―
Street Sense roared from next-to-last in a 20-horse field to win the Kentucky Derby, putting trainer Carl Nafzger back in the winner's circle 17 years after his first visit.
The colt broke two Derby jinxes to score the win under jockey Calvin Borel, who was 0-for-4 in the race.
Queen Elizabeth II, an avid horse enthusiast, was in the stands to watch the 133rd running of the Derby.
The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, arrived at Churchill Downs a little more than two hours before the first leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown, and went immediately to a private suite. The royal couple had traveled to Kentucky from Virginia on Friday, landing in Lexington, 70 miles to the east.
It's anybody's Kentucky Derby this year-- with no clear winner or superstar horse ahead of the event. Even superstar trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito are absent for the first time since 1980.
Race fans said the queen's presence added to the event's glamour. For at least one day, they were on the same footing with royalty.
"She loves her horses, and this is the place to see beautiful horses," said Mary Vandever, a retired truck driver from Torrance, Calif., who was attending her first Derby in the Churchill Downs infield.
For fans with no chance of getting an up-close glimpse of the queen, there was an alternative. A Queen Elizabeth impersonator drew long lines in the track's paddock area.
For a distinctive Kentucky flair, she posed with a look-alike of Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain.
Judith Gindy of Miami, the impersonator who refers to herself as Queen Elizabeth Too, admitted to being a great admirer.
"I'm very excited. It's my dream to meet her," Gindy said.
Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, arrived in Kentucky late Friday afternoon, touching down in Lexington, 70 miles east of Louisville.
Wearing a lavender coat over a light blue, lavender and white dress, the queen was greeted by Blue Grass Airport director Michael Gobb, his wife, Kristina, and their 9-year-old daughter, Kirsten. Kirsten Gobb presented the queen with a bouquet of pink and white roses.
Also there to greet the queen was former British ambassador Will Farish, who owns Lane's End Farm in central Kentucky.
The Derby was the queen's only public event in Kentucky. On previous visits to the state—the last time in 1991 -- she stayed at Lane's End. Farish is providing the queen's tickets to the race.
Saturday's visit won't be the first by British royalty: Princess Margaret, the queen's sister, attended the race in 1974.
"Queen Elizabeth is certainly the most prestigious guest we've entertained in the modern-day history of the Kentucky Derby," track President Steve Sexton said.
The royal couple's visit to the track is part of a six-day trip to the United States that also includes visits to Virginia and Washington.
In Virginia, the queen addressed the Virginia General Assembly and visited the Jamestown Settlement. She was escorted on her tour of the former British settlement by Vice President Dick Cheney. In Washington next week, she's scheduled to attend a state dinner with President Bush.
To prepare for the royal visit, a number of Churchill Downs workers took etiquette lessons and the lead chef planned a sumptuous meal featuring a variety of Kentucky ingredients.
For those in the infield, where the beer flows and a carefree attitude reigns, any view of the queen would be from a distance. While the Derby draws plenty of nattily attired fans, the infield crowd is more apt to be in jeans or shorts and T-shirts.
"I don't think it would be her cup of tea," race fan Betty Lyons said of the infield.
Street Sense became the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner to return in the spring and win on the first Saturday in May, snapping an 0-for-23 skid. He was also the first 2-year-old champion to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.
Street Sense, sent off as the 9-2 favorite on his home track, ran 11/4 miles in 2:02.17 and paid $11.80, $6.40 and $4.60 as the highest-priced winning favorite in Derby history. Smarty Jones paid $10.20 to win in 2004
After the race, trainer Nafzger wrapped his arm around 83-year-old owner James Tafel, then shook hands before pumping his left fist, saying "I can't believe it."
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
