ajkreider Wrote:
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> All deep closers gain some position because of
> horses slowing down in front of them, but SBN is
> running at the end of all his races. In a derby
> supposedly loaded with closers, SBN was much the
> quickest coming home.
>
> The winner got the last quarter in :25.7, and SBN
> made up more than 11 lengths in that span. That's
> something in the high :23 range. But he likely
> needs to be closer to the pace to make that pay
> off in the Belmont.
>
> Edit: whoops. Just saw JB's post. Sorry

No need to apologize in my view. Good points relevant to Belmont preview.
I agree that he is the strongest closer in the field but my concern is that this was the case in all his previous races and he still didn't get up in time even with the fast paces. As with most closers, you can't expect him to repeat those fast late fractions if he races closer to the pace. Not saying he can't win the Belmont but will have to see how his figs compare to others and how the pace scenario shapes up. Of course a major factor will also be his rider's familiarity with Big Sandy's unique configuration.