Who Did the Derby Gods Frown On The Most and Why

[NTamm1215]

Union Rags has collected a mountain of excuses in his last two races. However, I think some of the trouble he ran into in the Derby is being a little underrated on here.

After being pinched back at the start he was steadied in the first quarter-mile, already significantly farther back than he should have been. As the horses outside of him began to launch their bids he was in neutral, then ran right into Daddy Long Legs as he stopped and plummeted through the field.

Now, he is likely to be overbet again wherever he surfaces next. However, he has all of the elements of a horse that a trip handicapper will look for on a regular basis, as he has been given little to no chance by both his rider and the things that have happened within the context of his last two races.

Who knows what we'll happen in the next four weeks, but the likelihood that he is the longest price he has ever been in his career in the Belmont is extremely high, and he MAY have the tactical speed to work out the type of trip that is rewarded in that race.