See And Not Believe Your Eyes

"Lay a table for us hurry, in our little garden bright.
He will start aback and scurry, see and not believe his eyes."

Another one from Faust to tie in here. I'm hardly too proud to change my mind right at the last moment, and since there's so much information filtering in about my Derby pick Stormello, I've chosen to avoid the handicapping error of seeing and disbelieving my eyes through these trifocals.

Even before I read the Churchill Clocker's comments on Stormello's gallops I had seen the Thoroughbred Times video of his gallop and also his photos in "The Final Turn" Photo Gallery where I pilfered the above snapshot of Street Sense and Calvin Borel.

On closer inspection with Stormello several problems:
1. The horse lacks the physical scope of several of the other contenders.
2. Visually Stormello gives the look of having undergone a light prep instead of rigorous training. The question of what Currin has been doing with the horse is answered merely by his appearance, and its "not much".
3. The Final Turn Gallery photos show an out of shape female exercise rider on Stormello, the ,same one on the TTB Times video, conducting the questionable gallop. I've had girls riding for me with far more ability. Where is Desormeaux three days before the Derby if they're really serious.
4. Then there's the clocker comments about the questionable galloping and inability to get into rhythm.

Believe my eyes here instead of what I was hoping for. A last minute toss of Stormello.

Are the eyes even more important though regarding Street Sense. Little stuff just jumps out at you. If I could blow up the above photo you'd see a very in shape Calvin Borel. He's got muscles in his arms; not riding muscles, but workout, weight training type muscles. Nafzger has got both horse and rider "in shape."

Considering everything I'm trying to figure out how Street Sense short of bad luck can lose this race. Let's put it this way, if the best training job by leaps and bounds means anything SS will run away with this race. Every little detail covered down to the May 1, four day out breeze. It was Ivers who noted the ideal time to breeze a horse--four days out from the race. Following this example I've had lots of nice performances and never a bad one. The horse will recover perfectly even after galloping out to what according to the clocker was basically a mile breeze in 1:42. Unlike Asmussen satisfied to give his horses short "maintenance works" Monday, Nafzger is still moving his horse forward with this Tuesday breeze, which will give more advantage being closer to the race given track conditions Thursday and Friday.

And, there's talent, conformation, appearance, presence, rider, trainer, owner. With Street Sense is it time to believe our eyes?