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Originally Posted by taxicab
As far as Wicked Strong goes he had the best trip possible.
They went fast from the jump, and continued quickly throughout.
With the wind blowing, jockey Maragh wisely drafted behind horses in a nice little pocket before swinging out to the better outside portion of the track to make his closing run.
Maragh is a bit of a race rider, but he's also a very smart rider.
He really understood the elements and the surface Wood day.
WS is a good looking talented horse, but he received the absolute best trip any horse got in a 3yo prep race this year.
Can he win the Derby?
Yes.
But I think his Wood is a little counterfeit.
I thought his Remsen was very impressive though.
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I see your point. I believe I was focusing more on WS' trip as opposed to the pace in the race. Also, this snippet from the Times on the Wood gives you cause to pause:
Jerkens had noticed that in the previous races, the outside paths seemed to be rocketing come-from-behind horses down the lane as if they were on a conveyor belt. “It’s great to save ground all the way, but if you can get him to the crown on the stretch, go ahead,” Jerkens told Maragh in the paddock.
