Quote:
Originally Posted by bobphilo
Have to disagree with the statement that this accelerate - decelerate - re-accelerate pattern is more efficient for the front runner. Both my Belmont example and the Travers article show that this will adversely affect the final time and speed figure of any horse running this pattern. Leader or chaser. The laws of physics apply equally to all.
The only way for off the pace horses to avoid its effect is not to mimic the leader. Sometimes the leader is forced into this pattern if its pace to the 1st call is to fast to be maintained throughout the race and he has to take a break somewhere. That's what happened to Cartwheelin Lulu at Belmont. Fortunately for her, most of the other horses followed the same inefficient pattern so she got away with it.
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Disagreements lead to the most interesting discussions...IMO.
What, in your opinion, is the most "efficient" way for the pace-setter to run? Should the pace-setter be more "reserved" out of the gate...and have the pressers breathing down his neck during the race's early stages?
Or should the pace-setter pressure himself all the way to the half-mile...so he can open the largest early lead that he is capable of?
Again...I don't mean to appear overly argumentative. It just seems to me that topics such as these cannot be settled solely by the analysis of one particular race...and the reading of a solitary handicapping article.
