That was a pretty heroic effort though into that pace by Oxbow though wasn't it? I know the pace was fast, but was it 10 out of 10 fast? I am not sure I am the one to truly assess that.
I am wondering though, while I think that the Preakness woke people up that Oxbow was a nice colt, if the Belmont might just help him even more in the long run, seeing as how the two horses that he dueled with on the front end, Frac Daddy and Freedom Child ended up beaten over 110 lengths combined between the two, with both being beaten 50+ lengths. After seeing Oxbow bury those two colts into submission and still gamely continue on to the end, who is going to want to go early and hook up with him? Might just help him down the line.
And what to say about McPeek? Not to say that Frac Daddy ever had a chance, but how much of a donkey move was it to send him from the rail? I am not saying the horse was ever that good, but I wouldn't be shocked if he doesn't ever come anywhere close to a race he's ever ran...throwing him to the wolves in a race he never had a chance in, and sending him against speedy horses like Freedom Child and Oxbow? A demoralizing type of thing.
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