Whitmore

[ajkreider]

Not sure it\'s fair to say the finish was due to a pace meltdown in Arky.  Sure, Cupid melted down, but Gettysburg did not.  The final fraction was the fastest of any dirt prep this year - which maybe says more about this crop than anything.

Also makes me upgrade Nyquist\'s race, and I\'ll hold my nose and take a second look at the Spiral winner (which had the quickest final fraction).

Edit:  My Man Sam might have gotten home a bit quicker in his than the top two in Arky.

[boardedup]

Like you say only two that\'s preferred style is on the front end.  That\'s crazy and makes me think you\'ll see a suprise or two being sent, like Commissioner in the Belmont.  With everybody wanting to come from off the pace I could certainly see easy fractions. You never know, but at face value a pace melt down seems unlikely.

 I realize Outwork isn\'t popular around here but depending on the draw he could have it his way for sure.  Where does an \"honest\" pace potentially come from in this race?

[miff]

The second half mile was raced app 30 lengths slower than the first half and all three top finishers were very far back the first half.

Very abnormal pace flow according to flow data. Your point re final 1/8th follows a split near 27 seconds, not that exciting.

[ajkreider]

I agree not exciting, but the laggards didn\'t run that middle fraction.  Creator made that in about :25 1/5 - which makes the last 5/16s in :37 4/5.  That\'s what Exaggerator did in his last, with about the same ground loss.

Whitmore and SBN were marginally slower while being much wider.  And this on a track that wasn\'t blazing.  1:49 flat for the Classic runner-up in beating the Big Cap winner.

It\'s one thing to lay down 12 somethings all they way around in 6 horse fields.  It\'s something else altogether doing it going wide and splitting horses on a crowded track.

[BitPlayer]

It will be interesting to see what happens with regard to Whitmore\'s jockey.  Will Irad abandon Chad Brown and Shagaf to ride Whitmore?