I just want to say a couple of things before I'll leave this place alone for a little while, all in all it's been fun.

First of all, I appreciate this non-biased resumé of yesterdays winning performance Jimbo. I think what you say about AD and PJ (yesterday) is spot on.

So you backed a loser, no big deal, we all do it more often than we like to admit and it is an essential part of this game we all (mostly) love. That's why I've been sort of taken aback with the lack of humility a few people have shown around here, because we all know that none of us know everything, and well, let's just say that there is no shortage of humbling experiences along the way in horse racing.

Then there is the ego. Let's face it, we're all probably narcissists to some degree just for trying to beat this game in the first place. That's why there is a lot of ego floating around here, but there is also a lot of great brain power, expertise and experience. My tip to all of us is to constantly aim to chose phrasings and be making points designed to stirr up that brain power, rather than the ego. One should always make the fights about facts, ideas and arguments, and never ever about the person. We all hide behind nick names and one never know who is actually providing the winning arguments, that's why the aggressive, personal attacks on "everyone" that disagree, from you in particular Jimbo, is catasthropic for the discussion climate around here. You should really be better than that. We're not "zen buddhists" any of us and the only thing one accomplishes by making things so personal is to divert that "group genius" away from solving actual problems. It get's repetetive, boring, unintellectual, unstimulating, exhausting, and repetetive (pun intended). I have certainly contributed to that myself during this derby run up, but sometimes one just have to stand up to the bullies and that's what it feels like I've been doing.

A lot of the "unsound dynamics" on this board would be solved if everyone actually tried to comprehend one posters message before answering it, no matter how "unelegant" that message might have been composed. I think everyone on here saw that TreadHead didn't neglect a possible speed bias on friday, he only disagreed with the assessment of it being there throughout the entire race day,
and he haven't said a thing about a possible bias this or that yesterday at all. He is spot on on his assessment of how you've been treating him, for that. That should be unacceptable behavior, if one were to get a good thing going on this board.

When that is said, one should also be a little more forgiving. When someone offers you a chance to be the better man, everyone should take it. There is oftentimes a fine line between a fight about ideas and arguments, and a fight that gets personal, and it is easy to get carried away sometimes. If you see someone "bullying", step in and make things straight in a factual and non-debatable matter. If someone is using straw men arguments to punch someone in the face, arrest them for it. It's easy to get carried away, there too. TGJB were right to call me out on a few of them earlier in the week, and was probably wrong to ascribe me to a few of them, too. I didn't really want to "dis" sheet theory in general, the only point I really wanted to make was that in this particular Derby I felt it could be a slippery slope. And things evolved from there.

But first of all, be open to other peoples ideas. It's more than fair enough that this is a TG-board and that most people on here is most interested in patterns and figures and all that, sure! I have a lot to learn about "sheet theory", patterns, 2yo foundations, spacing, and all that, and believe it or not I'm very interested in learning more about it too. But the more "biased" and "conformist" this forum is about the solution to one particular problem, the more you should appreciate when someone else is offering a different lense to look at this problem from. At least don't go all in on chasing them away! It's not necessarily, but it very well could be, groupthinking ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink ) when "the whole board" are betting one horse, ascribing him a 25 % chance, and the horse goes off at 27-1. At least consider it. Be the devil's advocate if necessary, but not in an overly aggressive way. Better yet, be your own devil's advocate. Doub't for a little while. Go some extra steps. Explore. Challenge. Turn some stones. And first after all of this, should you go with YOUR gut. Otherwise you'll take the fun away.

That's my two cents on this, anyway, do with it whatever you want.

Just remember,

"Leap of faith - yes, but only after reflection." - Soren Kierkegaard