Noble's Promise: Did Willie Cost him at least a placing?

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

A few weeks ago I turned on ATR and heard your comments concerning Looking at Lucky and the Rebel Stakes. Now, unlike Beyer, you don't stutter, and I could've sworn that I heard you almost come flat out and say that LOL got the benefit of the setup because he found trouble. In other words, you understood that by having to check while the others were in a drive, he was able to last move the field. Why is this any different than what I'm claiming for the Derby?

Comparing the supposed trouble that Lookin at Lucky had in the Rebel to the very real trouble Ice Box had in the Derby is a slippery slope. One horse steadied mildly on the backstretch while the other was stopped dead in the midst of his significant rally. Maybe Lookin at Lucky was helped because it forced his rider to make the last move, though Gomez doesn't usually have a problem with this, but I don't really see the comparison.

There is some relevence to history as well.....and a final last move in the Derby never seems to win.