I see Strong Contender as being a horse that will drastically improve from his three year old year to his four year old year. He had a rough trip in the Haskell to finish a respectable third, and beat Lawyer Ron, who is a very nice Grade II animal, in the Super Derby.
I think it will prove to be a smart move by Ward in having skipped the TC and BC races this year.
As for Lawyer Ron, if they didn't retire him (don't know; I've not been keeping up with the news as I should lately), they need to turn him into a miler. He will never be able to get the classic distances.
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