There they were at the head of the stretch, and Saturday’s Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) had developed into the exact showdown everyone hoped it would be. On the lead, Hard Spun barreled toward the finish line. Just off his hip, Street Sense dug deep to reel him in. This time, unlike in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), Hard Spun would not be denied the victory.

The Classic brought sweet results for the connections of the hard-knocking 3-year-old, who finished behind Street Sense twice this year when he was second in the Derby and third in the Preakness (gr. I). The Larry Jones trainee proved his affinity for the Turfway Park Polytrack, where he won the Lanes’ End Stakes (gr. II) in March of this year, while Street Sense has yet to get a victory over the synthetic surface. (via Hard Spun News)