While it appears that the capslock EXTREME was meant to only apply to the pace in the Derby, I must disagree with even that limited assertion. If you have any doubt whatsoever about the importance of early speed in all races, I recommend that you read, or in some cases reread, Quirin's study of 15,348 races run over all surfaces & at distances up to 1 1/4 miles in his 1979 book. In fact, if memory serves JB, you raised the Q of why a disproportionate no. of frontrunners win in a post some time ago. Some argue that the reasons are the ground saved & the lack of trouble, but the explanation which has always made the most sense to me is that horses are herd animals & in some sense are "hard-wired" to follow the leader of the pack. That explanation is certainly consistent with my obervations & it is no secret that some of the more successful buyers are interested in seeing how a horse acts in the field with his or her peers before making a major purchase.