I basically agree with Rollo here.
Grasshopper was tremendously overrated after his run in the Travers. He ran close to Street Sense that day, but Street Sense was something of a hanger (athough obviously a very good hanger) unless he got his rail trip.
That day Grasshopper was allowed to lope along down the backstretch in :48.18 and 1:12.43. It wasn't at all shocking that Street Sense wasn't able to blow by him in the stretch considering those early fractions and the fact that Street Sense didn't get his ideal trip. Grasshopper also got recognition because he and Street Sense finished so far ahead of the rest of the field, but again this was the result of a the soft early fractions and the low quality of the rest of the starters. These are all of the reasons that I made a few bucks betting against Grasshopper in the Super Derby.
I don't know how much he really slipped from 3 to 4. I think he was just highly overrated at 3.
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