Taking back at least one of them isn't the worst idea.
Both horses have been used away from the gates only to be rated 60 yards later. Bejarano has been doing this with all of Baffert's runners.
Secret Circle and Bodemesiter obviously both pass the speed test...but horses who thrive in the triple crown series often are one-time front-end speed horses who can be rated back if they need to be.
There are obviously more than a few recent examples of horses who won the KY Derby without having proven the ability to rate and finish in preps.
'10 Derby winner Super Saver blew a stretch lead in the Tampa Derby and was outfinished by pace rival Line of David in the stretch of the Ark Derby. He didn't get his change of tactics till the Derby itself.
'09 Derby winner Mine That Bird was on the lead with a 1/4 mile to go in both the Borderlands and Sunland Derby. In the Sunland Derby -- Mine That Bird faded badly through the stretch after an early move into a hot pace to finish a staggering 4th. He didn't get his big tactic change to the Derby itself.
'08 Derby winner Big Brown won the Fla Derby in a front-end tour de force overcoming a wide post. He was front end speed going into the Ky Derby and didn't get his tactic change till the race itself.
'06 Derby winner Barbaro was always a front-end horse. He merely held sway through the stretch in his Derby preps against weak competition. He got a great trip in the Derby close to the pace and poured it on late.
'04 Derby winner Smarty Jones never really proved he could rate back. Neither did '03 Derby winner Funny Cide (who blew a stretch lead in the La Derby at FG and finished 4th) -- '02 Derby winner War Emblem was another one who couldn't rate. He had the kind of style of last years Derby 4th and Preakness winner Shackleford.
I think both raw and positional speed is always an underrated commodity -- even for a Derby horse -- but any horse who proves they have both and can take back and finish is obviously much more imposing. Because these horses are so lightly raced now ... a lot of them don't even get to show how they handle it going into the Derby. It makes handicapping the chances of such a horse a guessing game.
If we see Bodemeister rated back or Secret Circle rated back -- it will take some of the guessing game element out of handicapping their chances in the Derby.
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