Quote:
Originally Posted by Aerocraft67
Bloodhorse highlights two runners that don't make the 0:38 cutoff, Sierra Leone and Stronghold. My takeaways from those performances are very different. From the article:
"Sierra Leone unleashed an eye-catching homestretch rally to win the Blue Grass"
Stronghold "finished slower than ideal when battling to a tenacious victory in the Santa Anita Derby" Sierra Leone won in the stretch easily after working through a trip. Stronghold prevailed in a tight stretch duel after tracking the pace uneventfully.
Looks like Stronghold gave all he had to beat Imagination, but still logged an uninspiring final 3/8. Sierra Leone blew by Just a Touch, who showed just a bit more finish after keeping pace and grinding out the lead in the stretch.
I suppose you could argue that Stonghold did no more than he had to, but Sierra Leone delivered the goods with time to spare. |
Sierra Leone did indeed deliver the goods in the BlueGrass. He didn't appear to be pressed even a bit when he was passing horses in the final 1/8th like Nuns standing at a Bus stop. He has that long athletic stride that simply eats up the ground beneath him. I believe that he will relish the added distance of 10 furlongs.
