Denis of Cork <96 BSF>

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Smarty got a 95 Beyer and Denis a 96. Smarty's time was a hair quicker so the track was actually a little faster that day if at all different. Check out the closing fractions of every Southwest. They are all slower than that. Lawyer Ron finished in 26 2/5. Using the closing fractions at Oaklawn as if they are conventional fractions is pointless when, as Steve pointed out, the stretch is uphill.

I agree. I wasn't using the closing fractions to say that he was slow coming home. I was using my eyes. It wouldn't matter to me if the closing fraction was 21 1/5. If I see horses laboring, that's what I'm going to remember, not the fraction.

Also, I'm not sure that this is correct about the Oaklawn stretch and it's come home times. Afleet Alex ran his final 8th of the Arkansas Derby in 11 4/5. Curlin ran his in 12 flat. I don't remember what Smarty's was in the Rebel but it was something crazy fast too. There is no way I believe Alex ran 11 4/5 going uphill. I've always been of the belief that the opposite may be true; that it's slightly downhill which leads to those really fast closing fractions being a little misleading.