Where does RTR belong in history?

[parsixfarms]

While I'm not sure how times from last Saturday (it seemed like the track was reasonably glib) would compare to the corresponding race dates, it is interesting to note that the CCA Oaks was contested at a mile and a half twenty five times. RTR's winning time on Saturday was eclipsed by the following six fillies (in reverse chronological order): Valley Victory, Wayward Lass, Revidere, Ruffian (2:27), Chris Evert, and Magazine (also 2:27). There are some real powerhouse names there; I agree with those that say it is premature to judge RTR's place in history.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

The track was quite fast....and the final time for the Belmont Stakes would have been much faster had it not been such an incredibly slow paced race.

Cotton Blossom ran over 54 seconds faster, winning the Acorn, which is a half mile shorter, earlier in the card. She'd have needed to pair together a couple of 27 flat quarters to slightly better the Belmont's final time.

That really underlines how the comically slow pace effected the final time...and made the final time slower than it would have been had the race been a turely run race.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The track was quite fast....and the final time for the Belmont Stakes would have been much faster had it not been such an incredibly slow paced race.

Cotton Blossom ran over 54 seconds faster, winning the Acorn, which is a half mile shorter, earlier in the card. She'd have needed to pair together a couple of 27 flat quarters to slightly better the Belmont's final time.

That really underlines how the comically slow pace effected the final time...and made the final time slower than it would have been had the race been a turely run race.

It was reminscent of this years Blue Grass.

[parsixfarms]

If it was a truely run race (6F in 1:12 or so), I doubt Rags to Riches would have won. The fact that the pace was slow gave JR a chance to allow her to settle after her stumble at the break. I suspect that if the pace had been faster, she'd have been playing catch-up from the beginning and likely would have tired from those efforts.

[pba1817]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The track was quite fast....and the final time for the Belmont Stakes would have been much faster had it not been such an incredibly slow paced race.

I disagree. The pace factor on the final time is pretty much irrelevant when running that far if the pace makers stop, which they did. Only if CP West had held on to win by setting those slow fractions would that angle stand up.

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Cotton Blossom ran over 54 seconds faster, winning the Acorn, which is a half mile shorter, earlier in the card. She'd have needed to pair together a couple of 27 flat quarters to slightly better the Belmont's final time.

Tough to compare these two... A 1 mile 1 turn race vs a 1.5 mile 2 turn race that is ran over a part of the Belmont surface that is used once a year...

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

That really underlines how the comically slow pace effected the final time...and made the final time slower than it would have been had the race been a turely run race.

It was truly ran, CP West was getting away with a pedestrian pace and he caved in, so did Hard Spun. Obviously they would have stopped even worse if they were running faster on the front end, but this still doesn't change the fact that Curlin and Rags ran a slow race themselves, until the final quarter. Let me put it to you this way, if the front end speed was 1:12 and the mile was 1:37, Rags to Riches and Curlin would have been 15 lengths back early and then would have appeared to close like freight trains running their final quarters below 24.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by pba1817

I disagree. The pace factor on the final time is pretty much irrelevant when running that far if the pace makers stop, which they did. Only if CP West had held on to win by setting those slow fractions would that angle stand up.

Tough to compare these two... A 1 mile 1 turn race vs a 1.5 mile 2 turn race that is ran over a part of the Belmont surface that is used once a year...


It was truly ran, CP West was getting away with a pedestrian pace and he caved in, so did Hard Spun. Obviously they would have stopped even worse if they were running faster on the front end, but this still doesn't change the fact that Curlin and Rags ran a slow race themselves, until the final quarter. Let me put it to you this way, if the front end speed was 1:12 and the mile was 1:37, Rags to Riches and Curlin would have been 15 lengths back early and then would have appeared to close like freight trains running their final quarters below 24.

woah.