I would bet there is no way Beyer ratings are the main course of Crist's handicapping. I can only add that Harlan's Holiday IS slower than the horses you mentioned based on the times of their respective most recent races. Beyer would have to make some variant adjustments to compensate, and judging by his figures, he seems to be going more by the clock.

By the way, has anyone looked at the final fractions for the preps? I'll resort to this if I'm having trouble separating contenders and that's the case here. One horse is a standout (and it's not Buddha, Nunzio), and he fits on TG as well. I'm sure the BRIS guys will get it. Check the PP's, which are free on drf.com. HP