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#3
06-10-2013, 12:11 PM
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Quote:
He was a media darling and a horse beloved by a lot of horsemen ... but I think that level of praise had a lot to do with the new Gulfstream Park's phony reputation as an inside-speed track. His uninspiring Florida figures were explained away as though he was beating some powerful track bias at Gulfstream. The "closers can't run good figures at Gulfstream" stuff is all nonsense. Ron The Greek ran a 115 Beyer at GP this year. Hymn Book's only career Graded Stakes win came with a wide sweeping move in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap of 2012. Giant Oak won the 2011 Donn. Who is the least accomplished Derby favorite in recent memory? Probably Dialed In, who beat Shackleford last to first in the Fla Derby, and won the Holy Bull in a race where Mucho Macho Man was the inside speed and faded to 4th. Who is the least accomplished Belmont favorite in recent memory? Ice Box was a 9/5 favorite in the Belmont Stakes...off a wide sweeping Fla Derby win, and a huge pace setup but troubled KY Derby 2nd. Gulfstream only has a reputation as an inside track -- because the inside post positions are great in routes due to the very short run into the 1st turn. I've seen more dead rails at GP than your average dirt track. But, it's a 9f track, and outside posts are at a great disadvantage in two-turn routes...so, somehow, that gets translated to mean "rail favoring" to some people. Gulfstream only has a reputation as a speed track because people are still stuck decades in the past, when the old GP was, at times, very speed favoring. Generally speaking, it's no more speed favoring than your average dirt track. Easy Goer was an all-time great horse. It's ridiculous that a horse need only win a few races at Gulfstream with moderate figures, and outfinish Golden Soul home in the Kentucky Derby in order for flattering comparisons to him to emerge by the Associated Press. 
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