Just to throw this in regarding Mandown's comments on feet and turf --

I have heard the opposite argument made for horses on dirt tracks - that in heavy or sloppy going, horses with smaller feet have the edge. Horses with big feet slide around in the slop, and horses with smaller feet can get traction and move.

So regarding Silver Charm's question

"Wouldn't the same logic apply to speed dirt tracks such as Santa Anita...?"

maybe not.

HP