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Originally Posted by Riot
Yes, the altitude effect is real, and lasts about a week, and has been well-documented in humans for a few decades now. I've used it to advantage running my dogs competitively. It works for all species. I don't know how long MTB has been at Churchill, though.
The little horse ran well, it cantered along at the back of the pack with no mud in the face until Borel said "go" after getting slammed and backed out, out of the gate. He'd been not fast but training okay at Churchill.
The plan was to have the horse just off the pace, but Borel adjusted when his plans were changed for him five strides out of the gate when the horse got mushed.
The closest-to-rail path (not 1 1/2 off) was golden and hard (look at the Derby again and watch the same move as MTB the 5, Hold Me Back, made along the backstretch to move up lengths, fast - he moved too early, though, and was done at the top of the stretch).
Nobody in the connections expected the little horse to be able to get better than 6-5-4, but Borel rode him perfectly, and said he was as surprised as anybody when the little horse kept coming on.
Somebody said Len had the horse fast on Rags. I have the TG sheets and Rags (but early, so he's not in there), I think the horse moved up a few points like many, many previous spring 3-year-olds, and the perfect trip on the hard true rail by the jock added a few lengths. Borel said the horse was little and floated over the ground. That's a well-known thing, too, that little horses don't seem to sink in the mud as the larger ones do.
No, I didn't have him, and picked others to fill out the super.
I agree with MMSC in a different thread, a "perfect storm" of opportunity happened.
Congrats to Borel for a perfect, intelligent ride, adjusting second to second, congrats to the connections for having the horse ready for Borel, what a terrific Derby story! Let's hope he goes in the Belmont.
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