Belmont Fractions

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by Danzig

it may have been amazing, but in the end, it didn't help him. wooley said he was the best horse in the race...that may be so, but the other birdstone won it. and borel may have moved prematurely, but i don't think that's what cost the horse the race. his kick didn't have that same oomph.

because he kicked from 7f to 10f...that's when he flew. Just like the Sunland Derby when he kicked from 5f to 8f...nothing left. Borel was no different today than Casey Lambert at Sunland. Running your 5th quarter in a 12f race in 23 flat or slightly below is plenty of oomph to me....just quite a bit mistimed. IF he runs that 5th quarter closer to 24 seconds, I'm guessing he doesn't drown completely the last 8th or quarter. It's all speculation. To me he repeated his Sunland Derby race. He got good rides in the Derby and Preakness waiting to use his 3f kick....His Sunland races and the Belmont were identical. Used too early and then going flat as a pancake the final furlong. I don't know this, but based on his 5 races this year...it seems obvious when you need to move him.