Alpha's out. IHA avoids collision with loose horse

[Grits]

http://www.drf.com/news/2012-belmont-stakes-alpha-out-one-fewer-opponent-ill-have-another

http://www.drf.com/news/belmont-stakes-2012-i%E2%80%99ll-have-another-avoids-collision-loose-horse

(I know Barbara's heart was in her throat photographing this.)

[nijinski]

I was gonna make a joke about that being a paid job , but I'm gonna try behave.

Geez , that was too close for comfort though . Seems to happen alot around a big race . Looks like IHA is ok than goodness , hope the loose horse is ok too.

[gm10]

Shame ... he was my going to be my selection. Got very upset in the Derby preliminaries and ran below what he's capable of.

[jldonah]

I'd like to hear how an expert in herd dynamics would view those photos. Looks to me like the two bigger horses were just trying to hear if there was a real threat, and they concluded that filly was just out shaking her legs for her own reason. Not to say it wasn't worrisome.

[Bettowin]

I'd like to hear how an expert in herd dynamics would view those photos. Looks to me like the two bigger horses were just trying to hear if there was a real threat, and they concluded that filly was just out shaking her legs for her own reason. Not to say it wasn't worrisome.

Doug O'Neil said most times the horses that aren't loose will turn to see the looser horse coming at them better resulting in a broad side collision. Not sure if IHA or Lava Man were trying to turn but be thankful they didn't.

[jldonah]

It's isn't clear from the photos of course, but my point was that the horses in front had their ears backs and, I'm guessing, heads cocked enough to the side to see her behind them. They probably heard her before the humans did.

Imagine it the other way, with a presumably lower caste horse in front ambling and high status animal in back scrambling in agitation. In that case, I would think the animal in front would instinctively take off too.

[JustRalph]

Those pics are kind of scary. Probably took 3-5 seconds in reality

[BlueShoe]

Bah, sorry to see Alpha come out, he would have been on the lower rungs of my Belmont exotic tickets. The vertical exotics are looking very chalky at this point, hard to see any real bombs sneaking in, although rain or a major scratch might change things.