I totally disagree. The premise of the sheets, whether TG or Rags, has nothing to do with perceived biases. Horses like Blue Burner or Saarland (or pick any horse in the Derby that was relatively far back early) won't get lower numbers for today's race because they were against a speed bias, just as War Emblem, Proud Citizen, etc. won't get higher numbers for being on or near the lead today.

Track biases, in my opinion, are the enemy of diehard sheet players, whether TG or Rags. If you have a horse that you figure to run about an 8 in a given race and another that you figure to run about an 11 in the same race, and assuming that they're going to be relatively close in odds, you would play the "8" horse, right? But what if the "11" is a speed horse running with a speed bias, like at Keeneland, and the "8" figures to come from off-the-pace a bit? Can you honestly say you would choose the "11" over the "8"? If so, perhaps you shouldn't bother looking at sheets, since the numbers obviously aren't the most important factor in your handicapping.

The truth is that most of the dirt races run at CD today WERE won by horses either on the lead or fairly close early, but most (if not all) of the winners figured at least somewhat. It wasn't as if there were some longshots that usually pop and stop that were miraculously wiring fields today. The more important factor in the Derby was the fact the War Emblem got a free lead, going relatively slowly, on a lightning-fast track. Horses like Proud CItizen, Medaglia D'Oro, Came Home, and Request For Parole who figured to go to the lead or at least try to press the pace all took back a bit (I assume in fear of getting into a break-neck speed duel). The only jockey that was riding a "closer" that figured this out was Eddie D. (Perfect Drift), who was a lot closer to the early pace than anyone expected him to be. It probably netted him 3rd pace in the end, although even a closer like PD couldn't make up ground on a frontrunner that was allowed such soft early fractions.

I didn't like the winner, but I liked the runner-up even less (not at all). I think War Emblem looked great winning, but I don't even consider this a true race as far as most of the others are concerned. Closers simply don't close and win (most times) if the pace is pedestrian early, just as a horse like Booklet can't win the Florida Derby when caught in a suicide speed duel going :45 to the half (I didn't bet Booklet either, but just used him as an example).

Basically, I just think it's a bad call saying that War Emblem figured AFTER seeing a speed bias, which implies that he may not have figured (or at least as much) if the track was "fair". He won, fair and sqaure, and will probably win the Preakness too if they let him have it slow and easy again up front. I doubt they will, but who knows. It's hard to perceive what those guys called jockeys are thinking at times (if at all).