When Baffert brings horses to New York, they explode. Remember when The Bobster brought CONGAREE to the Cigar Mile a few years ago, and that one popped a preposterous new top? A -3? How does he do it? An ad in yesterday's Racing Form gives us a clue: Baffert is shown staring at us through his sunglasses while the ad copy reads "How Do Winners Gain Their Advantage? "To gain a competitive advantage, I rely on Brisnet" say Bob. Why do I feel there's something else?

It's no surprise that TOO MUCH BLING won the Bayshore at Aqueduct. But it's noteworthy that the Ohio-bred won so impressively - BY 9 LENGTHS!!! Furthermore, TOO MUCH BLING was "3-wide midway on the turn," "coasted home," and was "taken in hand in the final yards" as he drew off. [SONGSTER, off a 1.5 and then a 2, figured to run a 2-ish or 3-ish in the Bayshore. TOO MUCH BLING, off a 2.25 and then 2.5, with time, figured to run roughly the same: a 2-ish.] So, it stands to reason that TOO MUCH BLING took a a really big leap forward yesterday. Did TOO MUCH BLING run a negative ThoroGraph! What got into the colt yesterday?

When TOO MUCH BLING devastated in his race, it was a tell that BOB AND JOHN would also run big. The ThoroGraph analysis noted that while BOB AND JOHN potentially could move forward, he "has not run fast enough to win this..." and "we don't like him today." But BOB AND JOHN, like Baffert's other runner yesterday, moved forward too, winning convincingly. BOB AND JOHN was 3 wide, while runner up JAZIL "found room inside all the way" till the stretch. What did he run? A 0-ish?

TOO MUCH BLING and BOB AND JOHN exploded yesterday. Just as CONGAREE and others have for Baffert in the past.