It is what it is. Horses have to run an extra length for each path they go wide though sometimes it costs more than just the ground loss. When going wide on a hot pace a horse has to work that much harder to keep up with horses inside and as the effects of a hot pace increase exponentially as the pace increases, ground loss coupled with a hot pace can take a lot out of a horse. Since the pace of 2 turn races is usually faster around the 1st turn, ground loss around the 1st turn is usually more taxing.
In one of his books Beyer explains how "Wide move into hot pace" is often a legitimate excuse for a poor performance.
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