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The 139th running of the Belmont Stakes may not offer the rematch between Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Preakness victor Curlin, but it does offer us a chance to see something that European racing fans are treated to almost every day - a girl taking on the boys, thanks to the decision of trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Michael Tabor to run there multiple Grade 1 winning filly Rags to Riches in the "Test of Champion" this Saturday at Belmonth Park.

Earlier this season, the daughter of 1992 Belmont winner A.P. Indy broke her maiden at Santa Anita in her second career start before displaying an amazing turn of foot in her next start, a remarkable last-to-first win in the Las Virgenes. A month later she won her third start of the year, and at Santa Anita, when she demolished four other fillies in the Santa Anita Oaks.

Immediately after that score, her connections contemplated tacking the boys in the Santa Anita Derby and even toyed with the idea of training straight up to the Kentucky Derby. After scrapping the idea, Pletcher set his sights on the Derby counterpart for fillies, the Kentucky Oaks, held the day before the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.

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Rains left the Churchill main track a muddy mess and Rags to Riches drew the not-so-attractive post 12 in a fourteen horse field that was chock full of graded stakes winning fillies. It simply didn't matter. Racing in mid-pack down the backside, jockey Garrett Gomez guided her to the outside approaching the turn, swung four wide while ranging up to the leaders and ran by them like they were standing still. Once clear, Gomez hand rode her to an ultra-impressive 4 ½ length score, coming home the last 1/8 of a mile in :12 while never drawing his whip.

Since the Oaks, it was unclear as to where she'd run next, with the Mother Goose at Belmont on June 30th the most likely spot. But, being by a Belmont winner and being a half-sister to last years Belmont winner Jazil, her connections began thinking about trying her against colts in the Belmont. The defection last week of Street Sense all but sealed the deal. On Tuesday, Pletcher was even able to get his main man John Velazquez to get off his Belmont mount Slew's Tizzy to ride Rags to Riches. She completed a fantastic month of training with a five furlong drill in 1:03 4/5 last Sunday at Belmont.

While the presence of Rags to Riches adds some intrigue and glitz to this year's renewal, it also managed to scare off two horses destined to be nothing more than footnotes, Time Squared and Digger, away to fight another day. By doing that however, the complexion of the race changed a bit as Digger figured to be free-running on the lead. The horse that figures to benefit most from his absence is the gritty Hard Spun.

Not that Hard Spun needs any help. One of only two horses that will be contesting the entire Triple Crown this season, Hard Spun has continued to prove plenty of naysayers, including myself, wrong by showing up big time in both the Derby and the Preakness. After nearly wiring the Derby before tiring to second behind Street Sense, it appeared as if Hard Spun and not Street Sense had a target on their back in the Preakness.

Breaking from post 7 under Mario Pino, the son of Danzig was sitting a dream trip while tucked in neatly behind the leaders in third before Pino guided him outside and showing him daylight and unofficial signal for him to go. And go he went. But he wasn't the only one. C P West followed as did Street Sense and just like that the Preakness seemed like it turned into a free for all.

After making the lead on the far turn, Hard Spun had little left for Curlin and Street Sense and trudged home third. Before he was unsaddled, most of the racing world knew that Mario Pino would likely never be on his back again and less than two weeks later it was announced that one of the hottest riders on the planet, Garrett Gomes, would have the mount this Saturday for the Belmont. Like Rags to Riches, Hard Spun too finished his serious preparations for the Belmont this past Sunday, going five furlongs in 1:03.

That leaves us with Curlin. I never imagined myself saying this three months ago, but I honestly feel if he was a bit more seasoned before the Derby, this column would be about his chances of becoming the twelfth Triple Crown champion in the history of the sport. But we're not and all he can do now is become another "what might have been had…." Like Risen Star, Hansel and Point Given, just a few who've won both the Preakness and Belmont.

Curlin's Preakness was arguably one of the great performances ever on one of racing's biggest stages. After getting off to a poor start again, Robby Albarado quickly gathered his charge and settled him down towards the back of the pack, a place Curlin is unaccustomed to being. Down the backside while the aforementioned nonsense unfolded in front of him, Curling began making up ground and picking off horses, eventually racing into contention approaching the far turn. Then, in an instant, just like in the Derby, Street Sense rolled right by and it looked as if it was over.

But on that day, Curlin had other ideas. He chased Street Sense from the top of the stretch to the wire, inching closer with every stride before surging past the Derby winner just before the wire. A short head later, Curlin had derailed Street Sense's Triple Crown hopes and dreams.

Trainer Steve Asmussen didn't commit to the Belmont at first but quickly came around and pronounced his son of Smart Strike ready to roll in the final jewel of the Triple Crown. A leisurely half mile in :50 3/5 at Churchill this past Monday completed his serious training for the Belmont. Albarado will be back aboard Saturday.

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