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Originally Posted by King Glorious
I think that before anyone automatically discards the results of this race because of they think was an insane speed duel, they would be wise to look at how all of the races on this stuff have been playing out. If you use your conventional thinking of times and fractions and what constitutes a speed duel or a really fast race, you will be way off. For example, if a normal half mile at the track goes in 45 2/5 and you see some horses run in sub-44, it's safe to assume they were going insanely fast. If the norm is 44, however, and some horses go 43 3/5, they might not be going too fast. On this track, we are seeing 6.5f going in under 1:14. We just saw Indian Blessing run a sub-1:20 for 7f. They are going under 1:40 for 8.5f. Conventional thinking doesn't apply on this track.
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They also would be wise to watch the replay, before hastily coronating El Gato Malo as the standout out West (there are several good colts here this winter), where they would see 3 horses going balls out from the bell (Denman even comments that MSW Sierra Sunset was "hard ridden" to keep contact at the 3/8s pole) and stopping to a walk at the 1/4 pole (again noted by Denman). Whether or not the adjusted internal fractions play along with the idea of a crazy speed duel, fact is 3 talented horses hooked up very early in a two turn race and burned each other up, setting it up for another very talented horse who had good foundation and was capable of relaxing the first part of the race.
Some of those Santa Anita results are a bit tough to swallow, kind of like this year's BC. It wasn't shocking that El Gato Malo won yesterday, just as it wasn't shocking when Curlin won the Classic, but the manner in which they won in such high profile races seems a bit anomalous (and I understand that EGM previously had two runaway victories over lesser company).