Re: Outwork (915 Views)

A little of both I think.

1. After Gemologist I vowed never to ride the "White Mercedes" again in the Derby. I tossed Verranzano and Materiality and thought I had kicked my TAP KD habit. However, Outwork didn't prep in Florida, was fast enough, pattern looked good, horse had some grit and I bit 100%. To me looked like the most likely horse to hit the board based on sheet and forward placed running style. Obvious now that TAP magic does not work at Churchill. His only Derby winner a slow rat who tripped in the slop w Bo-Rail and never ran a step after.

2. Re Wood, no one will ever convince me that Outwork would defeat Gunrunner at any distance above 1 1/16 despite what their sheets look like. Wood too fast, La Derby too slow, I am not sure, but in my opinion if they were put on the same track in the same race, on form, Outwork would never finish in front of Gunrunner. Gunrunner was a can't use based on his sheet, but ran his eyeballs out.

I think rest of the race was formful/explainable based on TG numbers. Exaggerator, Sudden Breaking News and Outwork were my keys, two of them ran to their sheets. I can accept the Nyquist and Gunrunner move forwards and Mohaymen rebounding off his X, but the Outwork sheet must have been TAP voodoo.