Quote:
Originally Posted by jay68802
Go back to the Fla Derby, when Mott said that they were trying to get Hidden Scroll to "rate" in his works and in the race. Changing a young horse's running style is never a good idea, IMO. Watch horses trained by Baffert and Pletcher. They are usually on the lead in their first race and they will try to gradually change the running style over a period of a year or so, and they do not try to do it in one race.
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That's why I'm saying it's sometimes a difficult position be in.
They already saw that if they tried to outsprint a field full of very fast front runners they could do it, but the horse couldn't last 9F, let alone 10F.
1. They could have gunned again and tried to outrun Maximum Security (who was out quickly). Maybe that would have worked, but there was also the potential of getting a replay of the last race where he tired. They also would have made no progress towards getting him to relax and go 10F.
2. They could see what would happen if they tried to rate him after giving him some work behind horses.
Both options sucked because the goal was to win AND teach him to relax with the Derby in mind.
IMO, they did the worst of all possible things. They tried to get him to relax but it was obvious fairly quickly he was not comfortable. Once a horse starts fighting, you are doomed. At that point you more or less have to try to get outside and let him go, but there was no place to go
From the rail, IMHO they should have gone. Then after he cleared most of the other horses if they were hell bent on trying to rate, they should have let MS go and then moved outside and just of him. All that is easier said than one.
It's starting to look more like he's less talented than we thought to begin with. His first start is looking more like a speed favoring slop fluke.
