I just watched the replay of the stretch run by Optari when he was boxed in.
There is no doubt that he was severely restricted for the first half or so of the stretch run.
What would concern me however is that with about half a furlong to go the whole trap breaks apart giving him room, and he passes no one. In fact a horse that was running just to his outside actually pass him a little. I would have expected that since he hadn't been asked for his full run that he would have had a lot in reserve for that last moment. I didn't see any late burst.
It makes me wonder if his placing would have been much different even were he to have found a seam earlier.
just my observations.
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