No Derby for Hard Spun ???

[Samarta]

Originally Posted by easy goer

I have a question about his horse. Did anyone see his lead change or lack of change in the Lanes End? I know I didnt see the entire stretch run clearly but he looked to be on the wrong foot at the end. Someone else mentioned that he was on the wrong foot on the turn. Does anyone have a more definitive opinion?

I ask because I am wondering if there could be some sort of foot issue here..

I don't think there is a foot issue at all. I agree with this being a crock as well. The one thing that makes this one so hard to understand is the owner's desire to be a major player or known as a major player....Which is one reason why he continues to run Round Pond in spite of her issues. This makes absolutely no sense at all. Especially after the Southwest at Oaklawn. All they did from the time Jones shipped the string there was rave about how Hard Spun loved the track and was training the best he ever had. Then you throw in an outside post, 4 wide the whole way, an up the track 4th and he now hates the surface. If it pans out and they say he doesn't like the surface and they skip the Derby, then I am absolutely convinced that they think they have a nice stakes horse on their hands and can win some races with him if they carefully pick and choose the spots where they enter him. So they avoid getting beat up in the Derby and go into a shorter Preakness fresh. I feel pretty certain on one thing.....if this is a possibility, Jones must be stomping all over that ten gallon right about now, because I'm pretty sure this is/was not his decision. His chance could be walking out Greed's door.