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Originally Posted by brianwspencer
The Woodward may have shown some effects of a long campaign, but I believe it showed more of the effects of running a sprint race for six furlongs before trying to hold off a Grade I winning closer.
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I know that this sort of statement has reached the level of "urban legend" by now, but can we please stop this "she set a ridiculous pace" nonsense? Yes, the fractions that she set were fast for a 3YO filly, but she was running in a Grade I race for older horses going 9F at Saratoga. In that historical context, her opening quarter was fast, but her first half and 6F splits were about "average" for such races at Saratoga this decade (and there were 9F races run by NY-breds such as Future Prospect and Fiddlers Afleet this year that were faster to the half).
2002 Whitney (Left Bank): 23.0, 45.4, 1:09.1
2003 Whitney (Medaglia D'oro): 23.2, 46.4, 1:10.2
2004 Whitney (Roses In May): 22.3, 45.1, 1:08.4
2005 Whitney (Commentator): 23.2, 46.2, 1:09.3 (Ironically, many of the same people who have tried to knock Commentator on this board by arguing that he got away with soft fractions in his match-up with Saint Liam are stating that Rachel Alexandra survived a suicidal pace.)
2006 Whitney (Invasor): 23.0, 47.0, 1:11.1
2006 Woodward (Premium Tap): 23.3, 47.1, 1:11.4
2007 Whitney (Lawyer Ron): 23.4, 47.1, 1:10.1
2007 Woodward (Lawyer Ron): 23.1, 46.2, 1:10.2
2008 Whitney (Commentator): 24.0, 47.3, 1:11.4
2008 Woodward (Curlin): 22.4, 46.1, 1:09.3
2009 Whitney (Bullsbay): 23.2, 46.1, 1:10.0
2009 Woodward (Rachel Alexandra): 22.4, 46.2, 1:10.2