Those pace horses were: 112-1 Anarko, 9-2 Etched, 32-1 Timber Reserve and 42-1 Kiss the Kid. Really only one of those horses figured to do much better. You also neglect to mention that Misremembered and Einstein were close to the lead and finished up just fine.

This is a debate I've had with TFM, but where the pace horses finished doesn't make it a pace collapse. The fractions have to be quick as well, and they weren't. They were average, maybe slightly above. Far from the kind of setup MA needs, especially on a dry track.

Macho Again looked terrible in the stretch. He looks like he needs a vacation.

true, true

Though HP has been the opposite, not all that easy to close there

I think we all know the transitive property does not apply in horse racing.

If we are going to apply it anyways, what about the filly Rachel soul-crushed in the Mother Goose by a country mile, Flashing, coming back to win the Test and the Gazelle in hand? Or the multitude of other horses she dominated that have won graded stakes since, such as Summer Bird?