Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasept
Some of this is splitting hairs, but Banned was in the 2 path around the first turn and then eased out to the 4 path on the backstretch, so 'much of the way' was really just on the second turn. And it isn't unfair to make a case that the portion of the course he was on would likely have had the best footing on the ripped up turf. That was certainly the case at Saratoga for a defined portion of the meet when the inside paths were turn up and of pace/stalker types had greatest acceleration rallying wide. Is 20 yards of Trakus 'ground loss' actually a negative if it offered better footing than the uneven, momentum-jarring going inside?
I'd also say that the pace was even and honest at :23.2, :47.4, 1:12.2, 1:36.0, 1:47.4 (elder fillies and mares went in virtually identical splits in the Palomar Monday). I love Banned, but Midnight Interlude ran a tremendously game race and wins with the wire 2 yards closer or further.
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Banned traveled the equivalent of almost 7.5 lengths of extra ground in the course of the race. Gomez is the master on that turf course, routinely riding races at distances less than the average ground coverage statistics based on where they break. He is saving, on average, about two lengths of ground in each two turn turf race this meet from his mounts. He knew he had the best horse and rode him uncharacteristically wide for his tastes, and had his nose where it mattered. If Midnight Interlude wins, or Akkadian, and Banned loses by say, two lengths, given the same setup...he STILL ran the best race in my opinion, and I think the data backs that up unequivocally.
To the inverse, if Midnight Interlude suffers any ground loss, he'd have been a goner.