Preakness picks

Two hours till race time, so I guess I should put my pick out there for all to see.

I picked Street Sense in the Derby and won't go away from him here. He looks ready for a repeat performance, and will have to do it against fewer horses. Trainer Carl Nafzger and jockey Calvin Borel have expressed such confidence, and I don't think it's lip-service. He's going to go for the Triple Crown in three weeks.

After that, it gets fuzzy. I loved Hard Spun's tenacity and effort in the Derby, but I wonder if he can get out front and stay there so strongly with just two weeks' rest. Curlin is expected to improve after his Derby, but by how much? He has talent, and he also now has some much-needed experience. Circular Quay was off eight weeks before the Derby. Now, it's just two weeks between races. He'll come from way out of it, but will he be too far back to hit the board? As for those who did not race in the Derby, I'll go with most of the handicappers who say they probably won't factor into the result. Still, each of them could get a dream trip and sneak into a top-four spot.

That said, I'll take Circular Quay and Hard Spun behind Street Sense. That's it. That's my top three. Time to find my way to the window...