Steppenwolfer

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

I see the Steppenwolfer ride a little different than most on here. While it wasn't a smooth trip by any means, part of that is just racing luck, it happens.

But when people say that all he had to do was keep to the outside, in the clear and he's an easy winner? I'm not so sure about that. Yes he would have avoided the stretch check-up when he got pinched, but it would have cost him lengths also swinging outside, and he didn't lose by a nose or anything. I missed the part where he had an easy clear shot to go outside that wouldn't have taken him very wide.

He finished well enough so I understand why its easy to automatically assume that the trip cost him the race. Let's just say his run once he got clear did not blow me away. He just looked like he was grinding away at the leaders. I wasn't sold.

What Gomez usually tries to do is save ground around the turn and then swing out at the top of the lane. In the Steppenwolfer race, he really couldn't swing out because he had a horse outside of him. So I don't know if it was his fault or not. If a jock rides enough races on come-from-behinders, he is going to get in trouble sometimes no matter how good he is. Even though we all realize this, we still expect a jock to get through and win if he's on the best horse. But realistically, they are going to find trouble once in a while and get beat. I guess the bottom line is that the good jocks get in trouble and blow the race much less often than the bad ones.