[freddymo]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I was going to do this on Denis of Cork - but he might get shutout of the Derby because of earnings.

War Pass was involved in the well recieved textbook trip picture thread last week, and his trip in the Wood is the one I will do.

Bad Trip: In a two turn route, when multiple horses hook up quickly through very fast fractions, they pay a bigger price than people think.

Before we look at the Wood - here is a very similar situation that occured a month ago in the Stymie Handicap.

This picture is taken less than one furlong from the starting gate! Grade 1 winner Daaher and Temporary Saint hook up in an insane head-to-head battle through an opening quarter in a mind-boggling 22.26 seconds.

14/1 shot Malibu Moonshine gets the textbook trip - an unpressured and isolated 3rd off the duel and parlays it into a 4.5 length win and a 103 Beyer (his other figs over the Inner that meet were just 81, 79, and 86)

Temporary Saint manages to win the battle with Daaher - and staggers home 2nd just in front of him.

30 minutes before War Pass would run in the Wood - both Temporary Saint and dream trip Malibu Moonshine return for their next start.

As you see - Daaher's trainer had the only other speed besides Temporary Saint in the race. He correctly choose to avoid a duel with TS this time and gave him a free pass on the lead through cozy fractions while rating Wafi City.

However, the seemingly much superior Wafi City (who ran a 109 Beyer in a route race at AQU the same exact day TS got a 96 in his duel with Daaher) was the one who backed out of it. Temporary Saint took the field all the way to win at 11/1 odds.

Malibu Moonshine, who beat him easily last out, reverted to his old form without the dream trip and finished 7th.

While no one will ever confuse Inner Light with Daaher - he did sell for 650K at a 2yo sale despite a modest pedigree because his raw burst of speed is very serious.

He harrassed War Pass through a sensational opening quarter mile in 22.46 over a track that wasn't yielding fast times! According to the chart plodders Court Vision and Spurrier were 18.5 and 23.5 lengths off the lead respectively after just 2fs had been completed!

To get an idea how fast 22.46 is - 30 minutes later - The opening quarter in the Grade 1 Carter was run in slightly slower time. That race featured Grade 1 older male sprinters...and they ran a straightaway for the opening quarter and only had to go 7fs. War Pass had to run the bulk of his opening quarter around a turn and had to go 9fs!

War Pass, off of just a non-effort at Tampa and a phony alw win against a manufactored field, had every right to stagger home in 41 seconds for the final 3/8ths like he did. His pal Inner Light, who ran a 91 Beyer going a mile in his previous start, only was beaten about 50 lengths this time after being sacraficed early.

While fellow Derby foes Big Brown and Bob Black Jack also both posses supersonic early speed - they both have shown the abilty to "switch-off" and rate before. Albeit BB did that on turf in his debut while still on a lead.

Zito should use the press and media to make his case to all other connections that they either let the seemingly SEVERLY distance challenged War Pass have a free ride on the lead - or they will get baked with him if they are foolish enough to take him on. War Pass might prove an elusive target if he gets his trip...but that part isn't up to him or his connections.

If Wafi City wins or comes second Saturday they are would have to change the name of Freehold to Mo'hold..

If you think WP is the same horse he was last year then you are more clueless then I orginally thought. Face it, he is half the horse he was last year distance has nothing to do with it. If he would have come back right the distance would not be an issue. WP is just one of many that are better 2 year olds then 3 year olds.