I could be totally wrong about this but I wonder if Passero's obsession with sealing tracks is not always great for the surface. I've had a couple trainers complain to me about this over the last year or so but, on the other hand, you can't please everyone all the time.
I do think Passero has done a good job but the Aqueduct main track, which as Dutrow said has always been great, has been a problem for the last year. And, I'm not sure I buy some of Passero's comments from a couple weeks ago about the base, because at the same time Rick Violette, one of the most reliable trainers, said the surface was fine.
The other problem is the jockeys seem to use any possible excuse now to cancel. Perception equals reality.
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