TP is a good layoff trainer, but this wasn't a scheduled layoff. This was a layoff caused by "question marks" about her physical well being and because she spiked a fever. There's a huge difference. It's true he skipped the last race to get her more fit, but IMO, if given a choice, he would have given her even more time. He simply needed to get a race into her before the BC. It would have been nuts to go in just off works.

>I thought she came home well and really couldn't come home any quicker unless she ran slower early as she did in the Belmont Stakes. What folks have to hope for is that the weight and two turns are gonna make a significant difference, but I'm 100% confident that what you saw of Rags Saturday not factoring those variables was as good as its gets for that filly.<

I think you are underestimating her quality leading up to and including the Belmont (even though we probably agree on some matters about the Belmont). Barring all the recent setbacks, I might have even expected her to be even better now than in the spring and early summer. I have no idea if she'll go forward or not from here in the BC, but I think she's capable of a lot better than yesterday on her best even without any development.