[philcski]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

While I agree with most of this, I do think that the track played a major factor in allowing your guy to get 2nd. On a fair turf course, chasing the way he did, especially on the outside and choking his filly down early, would've gotten him run down late for 2nd. But, the argument could always be that he rode the track. I have complaints with Rosario but this certainly wasn't one of his worst rides.

Now, I don't understand why jocks ride the way they do. You're clearly aware of his ground loss in this race and the advantage that the winner had because of the post and having more speed early. Why, then, rather than taking the turn in the 2+ path and chasing OUTSIDE the winner, not get inside, and behind, the speed, and make a single run in the stretch? He was strong enough to hold the filly back early, so it's not like he couldn't have taken her back behind the 4 horse. This is the only way to beat a horse that has an advantage on a speed favoring track. In any event, after the slow 1st quarter, it was all academic. You guy wasn't winning and the chalk certainly wasn't closing.

I know it's early in the meet but there's been 4-5 wirejobs and a couple 2nd-3rd sitters on the turf. There's only been two winners to close from worse than 3rd midrace- and one of them was even money against a very moderate MSW field. I hate to declare a bias unless I'm absolutely sure but this evidence seems pretty strong.