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BALTIMORE - Hopes for a Triple Crown winner vanished with the suddenness of a May shower as Curlin nipped heavily favored Street Sense at the wire Saturday to win the Preakness Stakes by a desperate head.

Curlin appeared to be running for second when Street Sense blew past him in the upper stretch and opened a lead of 1 ½ lengths.

But the winner dug in and came back again in the middle of the track, hitting the front just as the tandem flashed under the Pimlico wire. Curlin’s head victory was the slimmest margin in the race since Silver Charm edged Free House in 1997.

The final time of 1:53.46 for the 1 3/16^th-mile race tied the stakes record set by Tank’s Prospect in 1985 and matched by Louis Quatorze in 1996.

“His talent overcomes everything,” jockey Robby Albarado said of his mount’s determined charge in deep stretch.

“Now everybody feels about him the way we always have,” chimed in trainer Steve Asmussen.

Street Sense’s trainer, Carl Nafzger, had a different perspective.

“Heartbreaking, that’s what it was,” he said. “We only needed a nose.”

The victory by the 3-1 second choice, who paid $8.80, gave Albarado and Asmussen their first Triple Crown victories.

Curlin edges Street Sense in this photo finish to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

The runner-up finish by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who finished 4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Hard Spun, also ensured that the record 29-year drought since the last Triple Crown winner would be extended until at least 2008.

C P West was fourth, followed by Circular Quay, King of the Roxy, Mint Slewlep, Xchanger and Flying First Class.

Todd Pletcher, who trains Circular Quay and King of the Roxy, is now 0-for-28 in Triple Crown races.

There was never any question that Curlin possessed a wealth of talent. A tank of a chestnut colt, he exploded to win his first start by 12 ¾ lengths at Gulfstream Park for Midnight Cry Stable, which purchased the son of Smart Strike for $57,000 at the 2005 Keeneland Yearling Sale. That prompted formation of a well-heeled syndicate made up of  Stonestreet Stable, Padua Stable and George Bolton, which paid $3.5 million for a controlling interest in the colt.

He cruised to the easiest of victories in his next two starts at Oaklawn Park — the Rebel Stakes (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G2) — and rolled into Louisville as the 7-2 morning line favorite in the Kentucky Derby, although Street Sense was later made the 9-2 choice by the bettors.

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The Kentucky Derby was a trial by fire for Curlin. Starting from the 2 post, he lost ground early, found himself sandwiched between horses near the back of the pack and then ran into a wall of horses as tried to make up ground rounding the turn. Once he was clear, he closed well to finish third, eight lengths behind Street Sense.

It was a battle-hardened Curlin who showed up at Pimlico, forged by that traumatic trip into an experienced professional capable of handling adversity.

He needed that quality immediately on Saturday after stumbling leaving the gate. He quickly gathered himself, though, and Albarado guided him toward the inside, just about a length in front of Street Sense.

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He moved out to get a clear path leaving the first turn and waited patiently behind wickedly fast early fractions of :22.83, :45.75 carved out by Xchanger.

The complexion of the race changed when Hard Spun, ridden by Maryland kingpin Mario Pino, made an early move and opened a 2-length lead with 5/16ths of a mile still to run.

But Hard Spun and Curlin were both beginning to close in on the leaders as the testing pace took its toll.

Curlin moved up outside and was just drawing up to Hard Spun when Calvin Borel and Street Sense cut the corner and shot the gap between Hard Spun and C P West and quickly opened a 1 ½ length lead.

“He run up inside me, just very, very rapid,” Albarado said.

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