BC: Classic (PP's/Odds)

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Hard Spun had to carve out brutal fractions in that race.

While 1:11 for the opening 6f of the Derby isn't exactly crawling, I don't think I would call it "brutal." He got the lead early, and while he was pressed through the opening quarter, he was unchallenged from there until Street Sense ran by him.
People talk about Street Sense's "dream trip" along the rail, and certainly it was a combination of some gutsy riding by Calvin and some good old-fashioned racing luck. But I think because Hard Spun's trip wasn't so obviously amazing, it sometimes gets lost that HE had a very easy trip as well. Not only was he just cruising on an uncontested lead down the backstretch, he was right along the rail the whole way around too. It isn't like Street Sense's amazing trip that day caused him to save a lot of ground in comparison to Hard Spun.
Now obviously that race was over 5 months ago and on a different racetrack in a different part of the country than the upcoming race. The fact that Street Sense was - in my mind at least - clearly the best horse that day obviously does not mean that he is going to beat Hard Spun in the BCC. However, from what I have seen from these two horses on the dirt, and beyond 9f, there is no reason for me to believe that Hard Spun is a more likely winner than Street Sense on a fair track.
I am not completely convinced at this point, however, that either of them will beat Curlin.