Quote:
Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour
Changing leads is not a requirement for winning, but it helps IMO. Some horses never change leads and still win though.
Wasnt Affirmed or Alydar a non changer? May not be one of them, but I'm sure it was a famous horse (or two). Someone out there knows.
I pay attention to first time starters who run well but come up a little short while failing to change leads. If they do so next time that may be all they need to get up.
My question on the subject is this:
Do trainers worry about and try to correct horses who dont switch? I see jocks trying to get horses to switch all the time in the lane. Some are 'aided' by getting into trouble or bumping and they switch leads as a result. I have seen horse hanging and then a rival bumps them, forcing a lead change, and then they go on to win.
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Alydar didn't switch and he seemed to pass that onto his offspring. When Strike The Gold (By Alydar) won the Derby, he didn't switch leads until very late in the stretch.