2/16 (OP): Southwest S. (Gr. III)

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Danzig

flat out was closing late-what do you feel about his run based on how the track had been playing?
also, how possible is it to tinker with a track to benefit a horses running style-in this case, old fashioned?
it would certainly help oaklawns cause to have him win, and win big, wouldn't it?
and i'm not accusing anyone of anything untoward, i'm asking if it's possible?

I wonder about stuff like that sometimes too. I'm no track superintendent, but I'd think it's possible.

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

I wonder about stuff like that sometimes too. I'm no track superintendent, but I'd think it's possible.

It's very possible. If you go back to a weekend in late June of last year(like around June 30th) you'll see the track at HWD had a closer bias on a Friday Night. The next afternoon it had about the biggest speed bias you'll ever see at HWD. As for the effort by O.F., I liked it a lot. Seemed like they went a lil too fast, and he didn't consider giving it up. His stride did something a lil weird at the end of the Remson. To get 10f, he might need the surface to be pretty lively on Derby day(usually is though.) I like the Western stand outs (POTN, and Stardom Bound,) but the change in surface(to Churchill dirt) seems to be a huge one. I think the 10f is a big question for S.B., too. OLD F prooved he could run close to a fairly fast early pace, put away the other speed, and keep going. On Derby day, if horses run close like that to a pretty good pace, then most of them are gunna give it up(mid-race.) For me, he ruled that out yesterday. This is the horse that's gunna lead into the stretch in the Derby. After that, we'll see.