Quote:
Originally Posted by Betsy
He was on the wrong lead in the PA Derby, something that concerned me going into the Classic. Ruler on Ice made up ground, but the final margin was deceiving as it looked because To Honor and Serve was on his wrong lead. Grening of DRF said that he also went onto his wrong lead in that race. I'm not concerned yet about the distance as one race (he has won 3 at 1 1/8 ) where he faded, but not terribly (not like he finished in the back of the pack) is not sufficient for me to judge whether he can or can not get the 1 1/4. Until Fall at Belmont, it won't matter anyway.
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Being on the wrong lead is not an excuse, it's a bad sign, Alydar being the popular exception (although he simply never switched to his right lead IIRC). In a horse with as many starts as To Honor And Serve, it usually signifies stamina or--worse yet--soundness concerns.
He also swapped back to his left lead in the BC Classic.
Good point, though, about 10f not really mattering anymore. It's a shame the Suburban is only 9f and that the Pimlico Special is once again no more. Mott doesn't shy from shipping west, so the Big Cap and Hollywood Gold Cup are technically still on the table, however unlikely.