On dirt, the win% and ITM% decline very obviously and significantly with each move backward in early position; the more forwardly horses are placed early on dirt, the better in the long run. But in turf routes, unless a horse gets the lead there's essentially no overall benefit from more forward position except to the extent that it keeps horses within the front half or even the front two-thirds of the field. So why force the issue? A turf route rider whose horse is parked on the outside shoulder or hip of the leader a couple of furlongs into the race is usually not improving his own chances by forcing the pace aggressively during the middle stages.
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