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Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS
Free Spirits Joy won the Super Derby when it was a Grade 1 race with a $1 million purse. He was 35/1 and rode the rail under Borel (who probably carried the same buzzer that day as he did when he rode Rockamundo and Seek Gold)
Best Pal, Olympio, and Lite Light were all in that race.
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I think your buzzer statement is a bit over the top. I was there and watched race from apron. Fastest horse won, period.
Shippers like Best Pal from California did not like hot, humid conditions that afternoon. Free Spirits Joy was well acclimated to ambient conditions. FSJ was Louisiana-bred based at LaD. Also, it has been documented by others, such as Steve Davidowitz in his last edition of Betting Thoroughbreds, that track was packed, rock hard, superhighway along rail. Another testament is final time 2:00.4. Atypically fast when compared with previous 1-1/4 mile editions of Super Derby in that era.
As for Borel, Boo just schooled out-of-towners with his "home court" advantage of knowing that rail was lightning fast that day. Jockeys are like shippers because sometimes they don't like new surrondings.
Now, I do concur that FSJ is one of the worst Grade I winners ever.