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Originally Posted by rsetup
I don't get the infatuation with this horse by so many but he's not much and he's not winning unless they set him up real nice. As for today, you might want to add that he had a pretty nice trip otherwise. Sat inside and behind the entire race, never got in the mix until the last eighth. What horse doesn't finish well with that trip?
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I'm far from infatuated with this horse. I think he's a G2-G3 animal on his best day. But give Pletcher has literally won dozens of stakes with horses like this switched to him so it wouldn't shock me if he improved him.
I think you're trying to say he got a nice setup and should have won. I already detailed all five dirt races essentially were won wire-to-wire. If you go back and look at every dirt race he made up more ground than any horse in the stretch. Handicappers will tell you that means something.
Also I'm not sure if you watch a lot of Belmont but ground saving closing, inside trips are not what you want. Closers almost always win coming down the outside because the sweeping turns maximize momentum and minimize ground loss.. I actually thought he got a less than ideal trip and I'm sure Javier would agree he'd of preferred to get him outside but he drew the rail. He really didn't lay him down until the last furlong and a half and obviously he takes a while to get he really didn't seem to get his feet under him until the eighth pole. Hence the massive gallop out.
I think one of things missed was he was 7 lengths back at the half off 45 and 4. It's significantly closer than he typically was with Romans. I'm curious if Pletcher can get more speed into him but things like that do have the ability to make him a different animal.
